Special Brownies
by Lucy212
Summary: While the guys are out camping, Haley, Brooke and Quinn have a girls night in. Thanks to some special brownies, the night will turn out to be anything but boring.
1. Smells good

Chapter 1

Brooke, Haley and Quinn decided to have a girls night in. The guys took the kids out camping so the timing was ideal. It all started innocent with a simple choice of movies, some snacks and light conversations about life. But underneath the surface there was a lot more to it.

Haley and Brooke are waving the guys goodbye.

"I hope you're ready for girls night" says Haley, "Because Quinn made brownies, Taylor's special recipe"

Inside Quinn has just finished getting the brownies out of the oven. With a huge smile she announces to her sister and her sisters best friend, "the specials brownies are all done, let's get this night started"

Haley quickly begins to devour her first piece while Brooke walks over to Quinn.

"Special brownies huh. What's in them?" she asks with a bit of suspicion.

"You know, the usual. Eggs, milk, brownie mix … a bit of weed"

Brooke immediately starts laughing. "Does Haley know that"

"Nope, after all these years she still hasn't figured out the secret ingredient"

Inside Brookes mind, a little plan is starting to develop. Who knew tonight would turn out to be the perfect situation for exploring the thoughts and feelings she'd been having for so long.


	2. Not appropriate for kids

**Disclaimer:** I do not own OTH or any of its characters, but I choose to use them as an inspiration :p

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Chapter 2

"Man these brownies are so good! I just can't seem to stop eating them! Quinn, are you finally gonna tell me what the secret ingredient is? Maybe I can make them for Jamie some time"

Brooke and Quinn look at each other and burst into laughs from Haley's statement. Haley just sits there with a brownie in hand wondering what's so funny. Finally Quinn speaks up.

"Haley, I don't think you should be making these for Jamie just yet. They're not exactly the kind a mother makes for her son"

"What do you mean? Why not?" Haley asks still not having a clue.

"Haley, think about it" Brooke says. "They're called 'special brownies' and they usually make them when you're feeling anxious …"

Realizing by the tone of Brookes voice that the answer should be pretty obvious, Haley suddenly figures it out. "Oh my god, you've got to be kidding me! There's pot in them? You and Taylor have been getting me high all this time? What were you thinking? I'm married, I have a son!"

"Haley, calm down" Quinn tries to reason with her. "It's not like we've given you that big of an amount and it's not like you ever noticed so don't freak out now. Just enjoy yourself, you might like it"

"Yeah, just go for it. What's the worst that could happen? I mean, you're save at home with no one around but us. No one needs to know." Brooke adds, hoping it'll convince her to let go a little.

" I don't know you guys. I mean, what's it gonna do to me? What if I go all crazy and start alphabetizing stuff or start saying all these things that I don't wanna say or …"

Brooke walks over to Haley and takes her hands. She looks deep into her brown eyes and simply states: "Honey, pretty much everything is already alphabetized seeing how it is your house and you're here with two people that you can tell everything to. Just have another bite, let's go set up the DVD and get this night started."

Haley knew she wasn't going to win this argument from the moment the hazel eyed beauty took hold of her hands. So she decided to just go with the flow, which doesn't always come natural for her but definitely seemed worth a try.

"Okay, fine, I give. But the moment I start getting paranoid, you need to swear you'll cut me off."

"Don't worry, Haley Bob, we'll take care of you. Cross my heart!" Quinn says while subtly winking at Brooke.

Brooke smiles at Quinn while thinking to herself that this is definitely gonna be a night to remember.

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Thanks all of you for reviewing and/or adding the story to your favorites. I hope you liked this chapter and I promise there will be more soon. If you've got some ideas, feel free to share and I might try to work them in. I hope the story will live up to everyone's expectations. Until next time ;-).


	3. Movie time

Chapter 3

(thoughts are in italics)

The girls now head for the living room. They all have their hands full, with brownies, drinks and some other snacks. The DVDs are in Brookes bag, seeing how she went to the video store to get them. She quickly grabs the bag and spreads the DVDs on the table so they can make a choice and start watching.

"Okay ladies, says Brooke, the choices today are: 'The Notebook' which we all know and love and can't get enough off. 'Fear' which is a bit scary but in a nice way. Then we have 'City of Angels' and 'A Walk to Remember' if we wanna get a little weepy. 'Miss Congeniality' for some good laughs, and 2 films I haven't seen before, being 'Below Utopia' which is a thriller and 'Imagine Me and You' which is a romantic comedy. What do you guys think?"

"Maybe we should start out with something that's not too scary, 'cause I don't know that I could take scary right now, with those brownies" says Haley, half joking but not really. "Maybe Miss Congeniality?"

Both Quinn and Brooke agree with that, so Brooke puts in the DVD. Even though Brooke can't wait to see what effect a scary movie would have on Haley, she doubts the choice of movie will influence her chances of accomplishing her goal tonight.

They all take a seat on the couch, Brooke to the left, Haley in the middle and Quinn to the right. All 6 eyes are pointed at the screen, yet their minds are elsewhere.

_Brooke: Tonight really is a pretty good opportunity for me to talk to Haley. Should I just come out and say it? Or should I subtly bring up the subject and figure out how she feels about 2 girls in love? I need to get her alone first though, before I can try anything. So as long as Quinn's around, my hands are tight. I need to do this soon though, otherwise I'm just gonna chicken out._

Quinn: _I wonder how Clay is doing. He's the only one of the guys that hasn't gone camping. He's probably sitting alone in his house watching TV with a drink in his hand. Should I go over there, to keep him some company? Or maybe I should just call to see how he's doing. I wouldn't really know what to say though._

Haley: _I wonder how Nathan and Jamie are doing out there in the woods. They're probably having the best time. I'm so lucky to have them in my life. Nathan is such a great guy, a wonderful husband and a great father. But so much has happened since we first started seeing each other. And if I'm honest with myself, I know that the feelings I have now aren't the same I had back then. Which is normal I guess. I'm just so grateful that he's given me Jamie. Just a smile on that boys face can make my day complete. Lately I've noticed that there is another smile that makes me feel so good inside, Brooke's. I've always looked up to her, even when I hardly knew her. But now when I'm with her, I get these, like, butterflies. I wonder what it means. Could it mean that I might have feelings for her? She's just such a beautiful person. She's brave, compassionate and intelligent. She's who every man should have at his side and who every woman should look up to. I can't imagine telling her about those feelings though. Our friendship is just too important to put at risk. _

Apart from the movie playing, there's not much sound at the Scott residence. Everybody's too caught up in their own thoughts to pay attention to anything else. All of a sudden, Quinn's phone starts to ring. They all jump up from the sound, causing their trains of thoughts to be interrupted.

"Hey, Clay" says Quinn, who quickly grabs her phone and heads towards the kitchen. "What's up?"

With that Brooke and Haley are left alone in the living room. The DVD had been playing for over a half hour, yet neither of them had paid much attention. Unaware of that fact, Haley grabs the remote to pause the film. The room is now filled with silence, nothing but the faint sound of Quinn talking on the phone can be heard. Then Brooke breaks the silence.

"You want another piece?" she says, gesturing towards the brownies with a smile and a wink.

"Huh?" Haley says, still being somewhat dazed from her sudden rush back to reality. "Oh, euh, sure why not. Just a small slice though, I'm still not quite sure what effect it'll have on me."

"Well, if you really wanna find out, you might wanna try a bigger piece," Brooke replies.

Just when Brooke is about to cut off a piece that she thinks might do the trick, Quinn walks back into the room.

"That was Clay. He sounded pretty upset and asked me to come over." Brooke and Haley's attention is immediately pointed in her direction. But before either of them can object, she continues"I said I'd be there in fifteen minutes."

"But what about ladies night?" Haley asks

"I guess it's just gonna be you two ladies. Have fun tonight, I wanna hear everything about tomorrow. Especially since I won't be here to experience Haley on a high. See you later."

With that she was gone. Now only 2 things are going through both Brooke and Haley's mind. One: they get to spend the rest of the night alone with the person they have strong feelings for. Two: they either have to come clean about their actual feelings or make sure they hide them properly so that the other won't notice. Boy, are they in for a challenge!

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Here is the next chapter. I hope you all like it. Reviews are always welcome.

Untill next time!


	4. It takes two

Chapter 4

With Quinn gone, Brooke and Haley were by their selves. It had been quite some time since the two friends had spent time together with no one else around. They've known each other for a while so they shouldn't have a problem with being each other's company. But since their feelings for each other surpassed the feelings two friends usually have, it made the situation somewhat more complicated. They both of course try their bests not to let it get to them and just continue the night content with each other's company.

Seeing how neither of them had seen much of the previous film, they decided to put another one on. They soon decided they wanted to watch the thriller "Fear". Brooke had seen it before, she liked watching it when she had a need to be consumed by something. The film is pretty powerful and takes you in completely. She figured it would be convenient at the moment, 'cause it might take her mind of off the cutie sitting next to her. And it's never a bad time to watch Reese Witherspoon and Alyssa Milano in action.

Haley hadn't seen the film, but had heard of it. She enjoyed a good thriller every now and then, preferably with someone she could cuddle up to by her side. The thought of being close to Brooke both scared her and excited her immensely. Maybe she could blame the brownies for needing someone to hold her.

They refreshed their drinks, added some more chips to the bowl and both grabbed another brownie. The DVD was in place so all that had to be done was press play. Soon they were both completely enthralled by the sexual tension between Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon. The sexual being that is Alyssa Milano clearly also caught Haley's attention 'cause all of a sudden she exclaimed "God, that Margo is so hot!". As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted saying it. That's not a statement that was expected from her, she didn't even see it coming herself. Quickly sneaking a glance towards Brooke, she wondered whether or not she heard what she said. Brooke didn't react and seemed so focused on the screen that Haley assumed that she hadn't notice her sudden outburst. Little did she know, that Brooke was laughing on the inside thinking that her plan might have a successful ending after all.

Brooke wasn't one to take small steps. When she knew what she wanted, she didn't stop at anything to get it. But with Haley, things were completely different. For one thing, Haley didn't know that Brooke was interested in girls. Nobody knew that about her, except for Peyton. It's not like she's had that much experience, just a couple of 'girlfriends' at college. But even they thought they were experimenting and at first that was what she was doing. The truth is though that ever since she experienced how intense the bond between two women could be, no man had been able to satisfy her, in any way. Maybe Haley could turn out to be the person that finally makes her whole. But for that to happen, she would have to make a move.

"So what is it about her that you find so attractive?"

"Huh?" Says Haley. "What do you mean?"

"Margo, you said you thought she was hot, why?"

"So you did hear that", Haley says with a grin. She turns her eyes toward Brooke. "I don't really know why I said it, it just sort of slipped out I guess. Most be the brownies or something."

"But what is it about her that made you say it? And don't blame it all on the brownies"

Haley thinks it over for a minute and decides to explain at best she can. If there was ever a time to be honest and brave, this was it. "She just screams out sex appeal. I mean, look at her: she has a great body, brown hair and brown eyes which is the best combination as far as I'm concerned. She's such a natural beauty, like you"

"Wait, did you just say that you think I'm hot?" Brooke asks, clearly thrown by the statement.

"Yeah, I guess I did" Haley says, trying to sound as confident as she can be. "I've always thought so, even before you and I became friends."

Brooke: _OMG, she thinks I'm hot, she actually finds me attractive. But what does that mean? Did she say that because she's my friend? Or did she mean something more? She didn't have to say it, we weren't talking about me. Maybe she didn't mean anything by it, it's normal to think your friends are beautiful, right? But what if it's a hint? Maybe she wants me to know that she's attracted to me._

"Brooke? Are you okay? I hope I didn't say anything wrong." Haley says, wondering why Brooke had been quiet for 5 minutes and hoping that she hadn't ruin everything.

"I'm fine, I just … I just didn't expect you to say that." Brooke quickly answers, still lingering on her last thoughts. She turns her body completely to the side, so that she's facing Haley. She grabs hold of her hands, looks deep into her eyes and speaks from the heart: "It means so much for you to tell me that, 'cause when you say it, you make me believe it's true." She takes a strand of Haley's hair and moves it behind her ear. "But if you ask me, you are the most beautiful person in the world."

The moment their eyes interlocked, Haley was lost. Everything around her disappeared, she felt she was spinning around. They had both said that the other was beautiful. But between the lines, they had actually said that they were attracted to each other. There was a moment of silence between them, both taking in what had been said and what it meant. Brooke didn't wanna wait any longer to find out whether Haley felt the same way about her. She moves closer and closer to Haley, until their lips are just a few inches apart. Their eye contact is never broken as the distance between them decreases. Just when Haley decides to gather all her courage to close the gap, the phone starts to ring. At first Haley wants to ignore it and finally act on her feelings, but then she recognizes the ringtone which indicates that it's Nathan calling, probably so she could say goodnight to Jamie. Haley quickly grabs the phone, mouthing sorry to Brooke. She moves to the kitchen, thinking that it might upset Brooke if she heard her talking to her husband.

"Hi, honey, how is the camping trip so far?" Haley says, hoping Nathan can't hear the trembling in her voice.

"Hi Hales, it's amazing out here! We just made a campfire and are roasting some marshmallows. I thought I'd check in before Jamie gets to tired so you could tell him goodnight." Nathan gives the phone to their son while taking a bit from his marshmallow.

"Hi mom, how's the ladies night going?"

"Hi honey, it's going great, we're just watching a movie. Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah it was a lot of fun, we should go camping more often. The food wasn't so good though, maybe next time you could come with us, then we wouldn't have to live of marshmallows."

Haley smiles at that. "We'll see honey, I'll talk it over with your dad"

"Okay, I gotta go now, they're gonna start with the scary stories. See you tomorrow mom. Love you."

"Alright sweetie, have fun. Love you too."

Brooke had quietly sneaked closer so she could hear the conversation. To moment Haley closes her phone she walks over to her and whispers in her ear: "Why don't you turn of your phone and come back to the couch. Then we can finish watching the movie."

Haley turns around to face Brooke, her body so close that she can feel the heath radiating from her. She takes a deep breath so she can collect her thoughts. With a voice filled with desire she answers: "I don't really feel like watching a movie anymore." Teasing Brooke by moving closer and then suddenly moving to the side, she heads for the living room. Brooke is stunned by Haley's sudden playfulness and watches her as she moves away. Suddenly she turns around and flashes the most sexy smile anyone could imagine. "You coming?"

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Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it! I'll try to update every week, at least until school starts up again in September. Thanks for the reviews, always nice to hear your work is appreciated ;-). Until next time!


	5. Finally

Chapter 5

**Previously:** Teasing Brooke by moving closer and then suddenly moving to the side, she heads for the living room. Brooke is stunned by Haley's sudden playfulness and watches her as she moves away. Suddenly she turns around and flashes the most sexy smile anyone could imagine. "You coming?"

Brooke follows Haley to the living room. She's hesitant to sit on the couch, next to Haley. A million thoughts are filling her head all at once. The moment she's been waiting for is just around the corner. There's not much that can get in the way anymore, or so she hopes …

"So … where were we?" Haley speaks up, nervous as hell but desperate to continue what was happening before the interruption.

Brooke smiles at that, but she feels like she needs to be sure they both want the same things. She needs to know that what's likely to happen next, will mean the same thing for the both of them in the morning. "Haley" she asks, "are you sure about all this? I mean, we're about to take a pretty big step in our relationship. I don't want things to be awkward between us. I care about you so much and a big part of me wants to cross this line so badly. I just …"

To stop Brooke from babbling on, Haley softly puts her finger on Brooke's lips. "Sweetie, relax okay. Right now, it's not a good thing to be thinking about consequences and reasons for all this to happen. We should just cherish the moment and we'll see where it takes us. All that matters right now, is you and me."

With that, the silence returns. They look deep into each other's eyes and smile at one another. They move a little closer together, their fingers interlock.

"I've been wanting to do this for so long" Haley confesses. Their lips are moving closer again, both waiting for the other to close to gap. Right at the same time, they turn their heads and their lips touch. For a time that seemed to take forever, nothing else exists. As the kiss becomes more intense, Brooke pushes Haley on her back so she's lying on top of her. Their eyes are closed and in that moment they are one. As breath becomes an issue, they break the kiss. The look they find in each other's eyes, clearly states that the kiss more than fulfills their expectations.

"That was amazing." Haley says, while regaining her breath. She closes her eyes for a few seconds, thinking back to when those lips were touching hers. The memory didn't suffice but it filled her up with joy and longing for the next time their lips would touch.

Brooke didn't say anything. The feeling she was having could not be put in words. It was like all her life something had been missing, it was impossible to describe but she was aware of this certain lack. But the moment their lips had met, she had become whole. Nothing had ever felt more right in her life. She looked at the woman who she had shared such an intense moment with. She leans in closer, not being able to stand not touching her for another second. And so their second kiss became reality.

fThey lose their selves in the kiss. Their bodies move in harmony. Hands are exploring. Wanting, needing to feel everything . Reflecting their love and desire for one another in every touch. Brooke moves her lips to the side on Haley's neck. The sensation makes her tremble with desire. From the tip of her toes to the top of her head, she feels the heath flowing. Never before has Haley been so turned on. Never could she have imagined that her best friend would be able to make her feel this way. Never had she wanted someone so bad. She starts to unbutton Brooke's shirt, taking matters into her own hand. Just as she's about to reach the bottom button, Brooke takes Haley's hands in hers.

"Wait" she says, a bit out of breath. "Maybe we should slow things down a bit." There's clearly a lot of doubt in her voice, but her eyes portray the love and affection she's feeling. A big part of her wants to go all the way, but another part doesn't want to rush things too much. She sits up creating a space between the two. She buttons her shirt back up a little.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Haley asks, not sure that she wants to hear the answer. "I know things are moving a bit fast, but we might not get another opportunity like this. I don't wanna spend my life wondering what could have been."

"I'm not having second thoughts about us. I would love nothing more than to take you upstairs right now and spend the best night of my life making love to you." Brooke answers, with such confidence that Haley is a bit lost for words. "But," she continues, " I don't want this to happen for the wrong reasons. I don't wanna go back to reality, we'll leave that for tomorrow. But I do wanna make sure that no regrets will follow after tonight."

"Look, Brooke" Haley says, "I really, really want this. I know the situation isn't ideal, but I know what I'm feeling right now. And I'm quite sure that never in my life I would regret acting on these feelings. I would however regret not taking this opportunity to show you how much I want you, how much I love you."

Hearing those words, tears appear in Brooke's eyes. She didn't expect that what she had dreamed of and had hoped for for so long, would actually become reality. Haley had said everything that she had wanted to hear. The only thing that was left on her mind, was that she wanted their first time to be absolutely perfect. Tonight was good in many ways, mainly because it was just the two of them. But she would like some more romantic atmosphere. Her thoughts returned to Haley. She realized she was probably waiting for her to say something. So she speaks up.

"I can't believe you just said that to me. No one has ever been so open and honest with me. It's honestly the most beautiful thing that anyone has ever said to me." Brooke stops a minute to collect her thoughts and takes Haley's hands back in hers. "But now that we know how much we feel for each other, I feel like we should take things a step at a time. How about we make the most of tonight by just enjoying each other's company and talk or watch a movie or something." The look in Haley's eyes shows that she's a bit disappointed but with a nod she indicates that she understands. In order to not let the mood drop too much, Brooke adds in that sexy, husky voice of her: "I know it won't be easy to keep your hands, your eyes and you're your mind off of me, but I promise that the date I have in mind for, say next Saturday, will more that make up for that." With a smile and a wink, Brooke succeeds in getting Haley to smile again.

"Okay tigger" she says, "So what do you want to do? 'Cause like you said, you're gonna have to keep my mind pretty busy if you want me to keep my hands off you."

"Haha, okay, tutor girl," Brooke answers "How about we watch one or two of those movies we still have lying around and after that we make ourselves comfortable and talk about anything we want to talk about until we're so tired that we can't talk anymore."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Which movies do we have left?" Haley asks.

Brooke walks over to the pile of DVDs and starts naming the titles. "We have left: City of Angels, A Walk to Remember, the Notebook, Below Utopia and Imagine Me and You. What do you feel like watching?"

"Well, believe it or not, I'm kind of in the mood for something romantic." Haley answers, with a smile. "But not one with too many tears though"

"That leaves us the Notebook and Imagine Me and You. I think that last one might be pretty good."

"Allright, we have a winner." Haley says. "Put it in the DVD player and get your cute ass over here" She adds with a smile.

Brooke does as she is told and soon cuddles up to the brown eyed beauty that has made her heart beat faster today than it had any other day. They start watching the movie and soon figure out that it fits the night they've had quite well. As they lie in each other's arms, they both imagine how perfect their lives would be if they could do that every night.

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So here's the next part of my story. I'm sorry it took me so long, but I had a lot of things going on. Let me know what you think, it's my first time writing about emotions so I had a bit of trouble writing it in a way that you feel what they're feeling. I'll put the next chapter up as soon as I can. Until next time :D


	6. Reality sucks

Chapter 6: Reality

The house is quiet, like there's no one around. Yet in the living room there are 2 gorgeous young women asleep in each other's arms. On both their faces, there's a smile to be found. Anyone who could see this image, would be convinced that their dreams are filled with pictures of their ideal life. Most would think that they were just having a girl's night in and fell asleep while watching some romantic comedy about a boy and a girl and how once they found each other, everything would be perfect. So now they would be picturing how perfect their lives are or could be once they found the man of their dreams. And that would create a smile on their faces while imagining how wonderful their lives could be, if that would be reality. But that's not what was happening at the Scott's residence. The women asleep in each other's arms weren't picturing their lives with the man of their dreams. They were picturing their lives together.

As the sun was rising and more light came through the windows, slowly Haley woke up from her dream. For a minute she didn't know where she was or who was beside her. She was still captured by her dream. The moment she realized she'd dreamt it all, she felt a bit sad. But when she saw that it was no one other than Brooke Davis next her, she knew that the dream might come true one day. She snuggled a bit closer to Brooke and closed her eyes again. She wasn't ready to move from her perfect spot of happiness. She couldn't, even if she wanted to, because she and Brooke were so wrapped around one another that any movement was difficult without waking the other. Seeing how Brooke had the most adorable smile on her face and seemed so at peace in the world she was dreaming of, Haley didn't want to bring her back to reality just yet.

She started thinking back to last night. How they had admitted their feelings for each other. How they had shared their first kiss . And their second. And their third. Just thinking about those kisses, filled her up with desire. She knew that from now on, she wouldn't be able to get through a day without having those lips touch hers. She couldn't help but move a bit of hair behind Brooke's ear and placed a little kiss on her forehead. Brooke didn't react to the touch. Haley thought she was probably in a deep sleep, so she decided to close her eyes for a bit longer and relax into the hold of the woman that had definitely captured her heart.

About an half hour later, it was the clothes designer's turn to open her eyes. She looked over to the rock star lying beside her. Even though her eyes were closed, Brooke suspected that Haley was more aware of her surroundings than she was letting know. Brooke decided to test her theory and started giving little kisses on Haley's neck, collarbone and behind her ears. Haley still didn't open her eyes but she was starting to smile a bit more. Brooke wasn't quite sure were Haley was the most ticklish, but she wanted very badly to tease her potential lover so she went for the spots where she herself couldn't stand much. As her hands went under Haley's shirt and her fingers travelled to their destination, Haley started to laugh 'cause she knew what was coming. Brooke forgot her subtle approach and turned Haley over so she was straddling her. A huge tickle fest breaks out, they both laugh until they have tears in their eyes. But unfortunately they aren't aware of the time. While they are having fun and feeling free to express their love for each other, the men in their lives are on their way home as we speak. That fact could turn out to be a very unfortunate surprise.

With no idea of how long they've been at it, Haley suddenly throws her hands in the air, indicating that she surrenders. With a huge smile on her face she says: "While this is all a lot of fun, I'm starting to get really hungry." Just as she's saying this her belly starts to rumble. Both having heard the sound, they start laughing again, with tears still prickling their eyes. Very happy tears of course.

Brooke stands up, walks towards the kitchen and grabs Haley's hand on her way. "All right, rock chick, let's see if your pancakes are still as good as when we were living together"

"They're even better", she replies. "Especially with the secret ingredient", she adds with a wink."

"I hope the secret ingredient isn't the same as what we've put in the brownies, 'cause I don't think I've fully come down from that yet." Brooke says, with just a little bit of mock in her voice.

While smiling at Brooke's comment, Haley gathers all the things she need for their breakfast. From one of the cupboards, she takes a small jar with a hand written label on it. She hands it over to Brooke. "Special ingredient 3", Brooke reads out loud. She shakes it and opens it, apparently there's nothing in it. With a questioning look she turns to Haley and says, "I don't get it."

"I usually only add this when I'm making something for Jamie, but seeing how you're quite cute yourself and I adore the appropriate amount, I feel like making an exception."

Brooke laughs and is quite moved by Haley's words. Haley is such a good mum, Jamie is lucky to have her. Maybe someday soon, I will be too. Brooke thinks to herself. She puts down the jar, takes everything out of Haley's hands and puts it all on the table. Before Haley could protest or ask what she's doing, Brooke gives her a hug and a sweet kiss on the lips.

"You're amazing, you know that?", she tells her while looking deep in her eyes. "When you moved in with me, after the tour, I really saw what an amazing person you are. I know that seems like a completely different life now. But I often find myself thinking back to those days. I've even wondered what could have been, if we had fell in love back then."

"I know what you mean, I've thought about it too. But then maybe I wouldn't have Jamie and that just doesn't seem right. I'm just glad that you're here with me now and that we feel the same way about each other."

They look deep into each other's eyes and go in for another kiss. Just as Brooke is trying to life Haley on the counter, they hear a car pulling up the driveway. They quickly end their kiss, knowing that neither will go on until they're sure that the coast is clear.

"You think the guys are home?" Brooke says, breaking the silence.

Haley checks her watch. "It's around 10 a.m., so it's possible." She answers, without much enthusiasm. It's not that she didn't miss Jamie, or even Nathan, but she would've liked some more alone time with Brooke. After all, they weren't exactly sure when that could happen again.

Brooke saw the conflicting emotions Haley was having. She took Haley's hands and looked her in the eyes. "I know it's not the best situation and there aren't exactly easy answers. But we'll figure this out together, okay?"

With a small nod, Haley lets her girlfriend (so far not really determined which interpretation is the most accurate) know that she agrees. "We're definitely on for Saturday though, right? It would be nice to have something to look forward to." Haley says, desperately hoping that she had meant it, when she mentioned the date the night before.

"Definitely," Brooke answers, with a bit of a suspicious sound in her voice. Haley had already been on a date orchestrated by Brooke, so a date with Brooke will no doubt be a memorable one.

They both exit the house and with that leave their feelings a bit behind. Jamie, Nathan and the other guys are standing by the cars, unloading all their stuff. Both Nathan and Julian turn towards the woman and as they smile, Brooke and Haley are thinking: Reality sucks!

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Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the wait! I'll try to update sooner next time, cause I'm going on vacation for a week in september.

I hope you like it, please let me know what you think!

Until next time :)


	7. Counting the days

Chapter 7: Counting the days

The moment the guys came back from their trip, Haley and Brooke were forced to make it seem like that weekend hadn't changed their lives forever. This wasn't an easy task, every time they looked at each other they could see the longing in each other's eyes. But for now, their feelings would have to wait. So they said goodbye to each other and as they give each other a hug Brooke whispers in Haley's ear: "I'll be thinking of you." With that they part ways. Haley goes back inside with her son and her husband and Brooke goes home with Julian. While it was unfortunate that their time together was cut short, they both chose to continue the day with a smile on their face and happy thoughts in mind.

Seconds, minutes, hours and days past. For 5 whole days, Brooke and Haley hadn't been able to be alone for more than 5 minutes. While they were frustrated by that, it had given them a chance to communicate differently. In their separated moments they had sent messages, some by e-mail and some by text message. First it had been quite innocent, but by Saturday the hormones had taken over control.

Sunday evening had been the time of their first conversation via texting. Haley had started by sending "Hi Tigger. I'm sitting on the couch at the moment and images from last night keep coming back to me :-). I can't wait to be in your arms again! Hugs n kisses – H"

Brooke had never been so happy with the existence of cell phones. She made some excuse for her to go to bed early and for Julian to go home. The moment she was by herself she answered, saying: "Hi tutor girl :-). I've been thinking back to last night all day as well. I've never felt more like I was where I should be than when I was holding you close. Want you here with me! B"

From then on their phones had been buzzing practically nonstop. At times they sent messages that were blank. That was their way of letting the other know "You're all I'm thinking off".

Wednesday evening was the moment for a little change in the messages. They had said how much they missed each other and wanted to be together plenty of times. When Haley had texted "Going to bed now. Want you here with me! I'll be dreaming of you! XOX", she unintentionally set in motion some thoughts in Brooke's mind that would take their relationship to another level.

Brooke was never one to let a somewhat ambiguous use of words go unnoticed. She herself was lying in bed when she received the message. Knowing Haley was under the covers with a night gown on, had made her blood flow right to her center. Wanting Haley to know the effects her words had on her, she quickly answered: "I'm right there with you. Just close your eyes and think of me, I'll be doing the same thing. Btw, love what you're wearing and can't wait to take it off :p".

Haley liked what Brooke was doing. Her entire body warmed up. She closed her eyes as she was told and pictured the woman of her dreams in the most beautiful dress. She imagined how they would approach each other and how they'd start kissing. As more images of her and Brooke appeared in her mind, she was slowly falling asleep. Her dreams were filled with scenes between her and Brooke. Sometimes about their time together a few nights back. Sometimes about how next Saturday could go. Sometimes about a random situation where they would end up by their selves. All different scenario's with different conversations. But there was one thing they all had in common, which is that they sexual tension between the two of them was extremely intense and they would always end up making love.

The next morning Haley woke with drops of sweat all over her face. It wasn't that hot this time of the year, but because of the images that had occupied her mind, she was quite turned on. Different parts of different dreams were still lingering in her memory. She smiled to herself, feeling just a bit strange that one of her closest friends over the last 10 years or so, had such a power over her. Suddenly she realized that Nathan was lying next to her. Now she felt guilty for betraying him. They were good together, they really were. Helping each other chase their dreams, raising a son together, being there with understanding and support after so many obstacles. But over the years something had changed. Maybe she was the only one that sensed it, but she knew that what she felt for him wasn't the true and unconditional love she used to feel anymore. It was something more along the line of a really good friendship. A solid partnership, but not a connection between soul mates. She knew she was risking an awful lot by putting her marriage in danger, but what she felt for Brooke and what Brooke seemed to feel for her, felt like something worth taking a risk for.

She got out of bed, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep with all the thoughts in her head and also a bit concerned for the possibility of her talking in her sleep and having Nathan ask questions. She walked into the kitchen and started looking around for something to eat. Just as she's about to make some toast, her cell buzzes. Lately she hadn't been able to keep more than a room's distance between her and her phone. The text that appeared on her screen showed it was Brooke, saying: "Hi sweetie. I had the hottest dreams last night. I've never wanted them to come true so badly. Oh and btw, you were starring in most of them :p. XOX".

After that text Haley walked over to her computer and started typing. She wanted Brooke to know exactly what kind of dreams she'd been having. She managed to describe it in a sensual but descent way. It took her about 20 minutes and then sent it to Brooke. She was pretty sure of the effect it would have on her and had a huge smile on her face. She then texted Brooke with a simple "You've got mail! Enjoy ;-)." to make sure she would read it as soon as possible.

After this, Haley was in desperate need of some cooling down, so she took a shower. When she got back down she started on breakfast. Not too long after, Nathan and Jamie came down to join her. As often and as subtle as possible, Haley glanced at her cell for an answer from Brooke. She couldn't wait to find out what she had to say. Knowing Brooke, it was probably something that would make it impossible to cool down for quite some time. To Haley's surprise she didn't get an answer until late at night. It said: "You told me yours so I'll show you mine :p. Saturday is gonna rock your world :D. I'll let you know the place to be tomorrow, make sure I get to have you all to myself for as long as possible! I'm longing for your touch! XOX".

Haley didn't answer right away, she smiled at the message and crawled back into bed, ready for another night filled with dreams of her and the love of her life. Saturday was coming soon and she was filled with excitement. Her mind kept drifting off towards their date. Brooke hadn't given anything away. She just knew that it would be a night she'd never forget.

She woke up around 5.30 A.M. The last dream she had was one where she and Brooke ended up in prison together. She could just see in before her eyes and smiled at the thought of the hotness that would come out of it. She had never felt so naughty before, but somehow Brooke brought it out. Even though she wouldn't admit it, she was definitely loving every second of it. She crawled out of bed, not being able to stop smirking. She had a shower, which she had desperately needed like every other day of the past week. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to keep her cool for more than five minutes, when Brooke was actually with her. She then regained her focus and started to work up her alibi for Saturday. She needed something that would keep her away throughout the night and into the morning. Her best thought so far was paying a visit to Lucas. But she had to make sure Nathan wouldn't want to tag along or call to talk to him. She didn't have a lot of time left to complete her story, so she did some major brainstorming while in the shower and afterwards while eating breakfast. Suddenly she realized she had left her phone on her nightstand. As she was trying to be as silent as possible on her way to her bedroom, she suddenly heard Nathan waking up. When she entered the room, he was holding her phone and was about to open the message from Brooke.

"Oh hi Hales," he said when he noticed her at the door. "Brooke just sent you a text, saying "I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7 P.M. We're gonna have so much fun! XOX". What does she mean by that? Do you have plans tomorrow?" Haley cursed herself for being so inattentive and was very relieved that nothing in the text could make Nathan suspicious of the truth about what was happening the next day. "Brooke and I have been wanting to go visit Lucas and Peyton and decided to make a road trip out of it." She said, trying to make the lie as believable as she could muster. "We'll probably stay the night and be back late Sunday afternoon. I hope you're okay with that. We've been wanting to do this for a while and this weekend seemed like good timing. We discussed it last weekend, while you were out camping. I'm sorry I haven't mention it, must have slipped my mind." The look on Nathan's face didn't show any signs of disbelieve. He was even happy to know he was getting some one on one time with his son. Haley quickly let Brooke know that the alibi had been set up and they were good to go. After that the time went by really fast. Both girls were very excited and as Brooke was busy with the last preparations to make their date as perfect as possible, Haley was busy going to the beauty salon and buying the sexiest dress she could find. Soon Saturday started and their moments of true happiness were just around the corner.

So here is the next chapter. I'm sorry for the wait, I hope you think it was worth it. I just wasn't quite sure how to fill the week, but I think it came out okay.  
The next chapter will be the big date. I'm really looking forward to it, I hope you all are too. As always, reviews are much appreciated!

Until next time!


	8. The date

Chapter 8: the date

Brooke had never been so nervous before in her life. The moment Friday had turned into Saturday, she hadn't been able to sit still for a minute. All she could think about was the date. It had to go perfectly, so that their relationship could take off in the right direction. Even though she and Haley had only been open about their feelings for a week, it didn't feel like they were rushing into anything. They already had the kind of connection that makes people trust each other and they really cared for one another. When it feels right, why wait? So all she had to do is make it feel extra right tonight.

The past week had been a real trial. Every night she had wished that Haley was by her side, every morning she was a bit sad because Haley wasn't lying next to her. Now it was finally Saturday and after the incredible date she had planned for the both of them, they were finally going to go to bed together. But she shouldn't be thinking about that right now. After all, tonight wasn't about sex. Well not just about sex anyway. It was about them growing closer together and being a couple instead of really good friends.

The day had progressed slowly. All the preparations had been made the days before, so she didn't have a lot left to do. She tried sketching a bit, but spent most of her time changing one outfit for the other. Having a lot of clothes was usually pretty convenient, but when you're going on one of the most important dates of your life, having too many options becomes somewhat of a problem. She finally decides to go with her short pink dress and a black leather jacket. That way she felled feminine and seemed pretty confident as well. By the time she had showered, put on her clothes and her makeup, it was almost time to go and get her date. She grabs her purse and walks out the door towards the limo that was waiting outside her door.

The moment is there. The clock hits 7. Right at that exact moment a car pulls up at the Scott's residence. The doorbell goes. Haley walks over to the door and opens it to find Brooke. She has a huge smirk on her face. All the way over to the door Haley had been trying to think of the best thing to say to her date. But when she looks into those beautiful hazel eyes and sees the incredibly sexy outfit she's wearing, all she manages to say is "Wow". "Right back at ya", Brooke replies. Haley is wearing jeans and a halter top. While her outfit seems more casual than what Brooke is wearing, she succeeds in looking just as sexy as her date.

When Haley sees the car that brought her date to her door, she realizes why it was so important for Nathan not to be here. He would have definitely found it odd that they were taking a limo to just go visit some friends. Luckily, he liked the suggestion of taking Jamie to the movies and therefore is nowhere to be found and will not be asking questions.

"So my lady," Brooke says, "Are you ready?"

"Well to be honest, I'm nervous as hell." she answers shy but honest. "But I'm also really curious about what you have planned tonight."

"Well then let's go, so you can discover what the first part of our date will be."

"First part? How many parts are there?" Haley asks, with a bit of worry in her voice as well as excitement.

"That depends on where you wanna go after the first." Brooke answers, sending a wink her way.

Brooke takes Haley's hand in her own and together they walk over to the limo. The driver is already standing there and opens the door so they can get into the car. As soon as they sit down, the car starts and they are on their way to the first location.

Inside the car, there were various items spread around. Several bags with pieces of clothing, wine glasses, several flowers for decoration and a fridge. Brooke takes two glasses and a bottle of champagne from the fridge.

"How about a toast to start the night?" she suggests.

"How about a kiss first, 'cause I've been without it for way too long!" Haley answers in a husky voice and with eyes filled with passion and lust.

Brooke doesn't need to think twice about the suggestion. She puts down the bottle and the glasses and sits next to Haley. The face each other and their eyes interlock. They both smile, feeling like this is the kind of moment people search a lifetime for. Brooke closes the small gap between them and as their lips touch, they seem to be disconnected from the world and flying trough the sky. To make their selves a bit more comfortable, Brooke breaks the kiss for a moment and pushes the button that makes their seats turn into more of a bed.

"Very smooth" Haley says, now with an even bigger smile on her face. "Are there any other buttons I should know about?"

Brooke smiles at the comment and with a sneaky laugh she answers: "The night is still young, you'll just have to wait and see."

Haley smirks at that and then crawls closer to Brooke again. She goes in for another kiss and while the heath is rising again, she smoothly takes of Brooke's leather jacket and throws it to the side. Haley enjoys taking charge so she straddles Brooke and takes her hands into her own and moves them over Brookes head. Haley nibbles on Brooke's earlobe a bit. Brooke smiles at that, longing to discover the beast underneath that good girl exterior. The passion is rising, and as the windows are getting more and more damp, their first stop is coming closer. Just as some more clothes are about to be thrown to the side, the limo stops. For a few more minutes, the girls don't notice that the car has stopped moving. But when the driver knocks on the window for the 6th time, he finally manages to get their attention.

"We'll be right there", Brooke says, while trying to put her hair and clothes back the way they were before Haley had made her moves.

They can't help but giggle, knowing that anyone who could see them now, would know what they had been up to. They help each other trying to look as descent as possible and get out of the car. When Haley looks around she's thinking she'd rather stayed in the car, 'cause the building before them isn't really that impressive. She's looking at an old house, surrounded with trees and a lot of wild flowers.

With a bit of worry, she asks: "Is this right? We're going to eat here?"

Hearing the worry in Haley's voice, Brooke's smiles. "Trust me, it's a lot more romantic then it looks from the outside. This cute little restaurant is called 'La Lune'. You'll soon realize that this is the perfect place for the start of our first date."

She looks at the driver and signals him to come closer. "What's your name again? Jeff or something?"

"Geoffrey actually," he answers with a British accent. "Is there anything further I can do for you, miss Davis?"

"Is it ok if I just call you when we're ready to go to the next location? I'm not quite sure how long we're gonna be and it seems a bit unnecessary for you to hang around here for so long. There's a town about 10 minutes from here where you can pass the time …"

"That's quite alright miss, I have to run an errand anyway so I'll keep myself busy until you call", he answers. "Have fun ladies, I won't be far if you need me to come get you."

With that the driver takes off with the limo, leaving Haley and Brooke by their selves in front of the restaurant.

"Let's go inside now, I promise it will be worth it" Brooke says, knowing that if she could just get her to their seats, she'd know why she brought her there.

Inside the restaurant is quite impressive. There's a very romantic atmosphere and it's beautifully decorated. Brooke walks up to a man standing by the book with the names of the guests. He immediately recognizes Brooke and gets a waiter to bring them to their table. After a long walk through the restaurant and even the garden, they finally reach their destination. There's a secluded section at the back of the yard. None of the other guest are in sight, they are separated by several trees and some bushes. There are no lamps around and while you'd think that would make it pretty dark, there's a certain lamp that lights the spot just perfectly: the moon.

"This is amazing," Haley says, taken away by the view in front of her.

"This place is called La Lune for a reason. It's said that this is in the top 10 of the most beautiful spots overlooking to moon in the US. I thought it would be perfect for our first date." Brooke explains, with a big smile on her face.

They sit down and take in their surroundings. It doesn't really get more romantic than this. The waiter hands them the menu and a bell they can use to call him for when they've decided on what they want to eat. The girls just smile at each other and enjoy the silence for a few minutes.

"I've never felt so at peace before," Haley states, breaking the silence. "This is really amazing, I can't believe you found a place like this, I never could have even imagined something like this existed."

"It's really beautiful, isn't it? We're by ourselves, no one around to ruin the moment. There's a spectacular full moon, creating the most romantic atmosphere anyone could ask for. But most importantly: it's you and me, which makes it so perfect." Brooke says, feeling the most happy she's ever been. She takes Haley's hand in hers and they sit together in silence for another few minutes. Nothing can ever be more perfect then this moment.

They spend the next couple of hours enjoying each other's company. They kiss each other often, since there's no one around to judge them in anyway. They talk about all the things that are important to them while enjoying their food. Nothing else in the world seems to matter, it's just them and no one else. And that feeling can only be described as divine. After a while they decide to leave their perfect spot of happiness, but the date is far from over. Brooke settles the bill and calls the driver. After about fifteen minutes they are on their way to the next location.

In the car Haley is lying with her head in Brooke's lap. They are whispering sweet things to each other while both thinking that they must be stuck in some fairytale because it all just seems too good to be true. After a while, Haley gets curious again.

"So where are we headed now? Are we going to the hotel?" She asks.

"I've actually got a few places lined up for us to visit. Really beautiful places with incredible views. But if you want, we can just go to the hotel. There's a different kind of view I've been longing to see for a while now. I'm sure those places will still be there if we want to see them some other time." She replies, with an extra bit of sauciness in her voice.

"I don't know if I can take it much longer." Haley says, "I'm so desperately longing for your touch and your kisses and just all of you … I might not be able to keep myself from ripping your clothes of for much longer."

"Thanks for the warning," She replies with a gigantic smile. She quickly pushes a button that allows her to speak with the driver. "Geoffrey, there's no need to pass those other locations. Just take us straight to the hotel now."

"Certainly miss" He answers. "We're only about fifteen minutes away, so we'll be arriving shortly"

Here's the next chapter, finally! I'm sorry for the wait, I've tried to make it as good as possible. I hope you guys like it!

The next chapter will arrive shortly and we all know what will happen then ;-). So bare with me, 'cause i've got a pretty good feeling that this story has a lot left to give.

Special thanks to some of my friends who have been helping me in finding that extra bit of inspiration and creativity.

Until next time!


	9. The night

**Chapter ****9**

Fifteen minutes later, the limo arrives at the hotel. They go inside and walk over to the front desk. "Room 212 please" Brooke says. The woman behind the counter looks up. She smiles and quickly looks for the key. "Here you are, Miss Davis. We got word of your arrival and have prepared your room as you asked. Enjoy your stay." She hands over the key and sends a bellboy over for their belongings. They walk over to the elevator and silently take off. When they arrive at their floor, they follow the bellboy and enter the room. Brooke tips the man and gives him some instructions for what and when breakfast will be. The moment he closes the door, her attention goes straight back to Haley, who had been admiring the surrounding.

It wasn't the biggest or most expensive room one could find, but it had a lot of charm. But the thing that caught Haley's attention most was the bed. There was a trail of red rose peddles starting at the door and ending at the bed. On the bed there was another bunch of peddles, shaped like a heart. In the center of that heart, there was a small box. Haley walks over and takes it in her hand. Inside, she finds a necklace with a silver hanger shaped like an angel.

"This way I'll always be watching over you" Brooke says, fighting hard to keep her emotions in check. A few tears appear in Haley's eyes. Right then and there, she is 100% convinced that the woman standing before her is, and will forever be, the love of her life. Not being able to think of anything to express how grateful she is, she walks over to Brooke, takes her hands into her own, looks deep in her eyes and says: "This is so incredible, thank you!" They give each other a hug and while in her lover's arms Haley whispers: "I love you so much".

Their eyes find each other, right around the time their hands meet. They start kissing, feeling the most free and alive they had ever felt. They move over to the bed, both filled with anticipation of what's about to happen. By the time they reach the bed, they've managed to undress each other until nothing but their underwear is left. As Brooke moves on top of Haley, she pauses. She knows they both want it, she knows they both need it. But she needs to know that they're both ready for it. With a smile emanating confidence and small nod, she lets her know that it's alright.

Their kiss continues. Brooke moves her hands all over Haley's body, wanting to explore every inch of her skin. She then starts to kiss Haley's neck. She softly bites a bit in her skin and continues further down. As she reaches the hem of her bra, she moves her hand to her back. Haley helps by lifting her back up a bit. Brooke smoothly unhooks the bra and throws it to the side. Haley tries to remove Brooke's bra as well. She isn't quite as smooth though, but after snapping it a few times she finally manages to take it off. They both laugh, while Haley's thinking to herself: "I guess I should practice some more."

Haley then pulls Brooke closer again, so that their lips once again meet. Haley turns her over and figures it's her time to play. She too starts nibbling on the skin in her neck. When she reaches her breasts, she takes her time to get to know them, feeling them softly so she'll remember the shape. She moves on to the nipples. Licking them softly and caressing them with her teeth. Brooke lets out a moan, which makes Haley even more enthusiastic. She kisses the skin around the nipples and plays around with them.

Just Haley's touch is sending electric shocks through Brooke's body. She starts to pant while the heat of her body increases with every touch. Even though this is all just foreplay, she can already feel her climax getting closer.

Haley senses that her lover is approaching her peek, so she moves further down. Just before reaching her center she looks up. Brooke knows this is the first time Haley has ever done this. She looks into her eyes and is caught between telling her to continue and telling her that if it's too soon, she doesn't have to. But her eyes are showing no doubt and the smile on her face indicates that she too is yearning for what's about to come.

Brooke smiles back and Haley continues her quest. She slides down the panties and throws them in the same direction as the bra, just moments before. She kisses around her navel and aHaHslowly continues her kisses down. She knows she's practically torturing her, but she's having too much fun. Brooke enjoys all she is given but in the few seconds she can think straight, her mind goes: "I'll get you back for this later, tutor girl."

When Haley is done circling around her destination, her nerves are catching up with her a bit. The fear of not being able to give her girlfriend enough satisfaction causes her to hesitate for a small second. But when she thinks of the wonderful night they had a week ago and how wonderful the evening has been so far, she realizes that those doubts have no reason for existing. As if she knew that Haley needed some encouragement, Brooke reaches over so her hand touches Haley's. That small token of love, gives Haley the same courage as when she first admitted her feelings. She clears her mind, looks into the beautiful brown eyes she loves sinking in to and kisses the inner thigh. She continues her kisses, as she had done before, but now she doesn't stop when reaching her clit.

She sweetly explores her surrounding and takes pleasure in the fact that she's already caused such wetness. She breathes in the musky scent of her lover and can't stay away from it any longer. Her tongue slides over the moist skin, giving her a taste of what she's longed for, for so long. As Haley continues licking and flicking her tongue, the former cheer captain loses all control over her body. Her muscles tens, her hands are holding the fabric of the bed very tight. Just then, she can't take anymore. She screams as she reaches her orgasm and lets her body release all the tension.

Haley smiles, as she moves back up. Brooke still has her eyes closed, riding her waves. "That … was …" she stammers, not being able to make a sentence while she's still without breath. She slowly opens her eyes, while sweat is still dripping of her face. Haley smiles, knowing that the love of her life has gotten such satisfaction. Brooke puts her hands behind Haley's head and pulls her closer for a kiss. As she isn't capable of forming words, that's another way of letting know how much she's enjoyed it. As she is regaining more control over her body and her mind, she's overwhelmed with the longing of giving her girl the same amount of pleasure she just received.

She moves Haley over, so she's on her back. It's her time to take control and she's loving every second of it. Her hands are starting to explore the well-toned body underneath her. She breaks free from the kiss, so she can give her breast some more attention. Feeling the urge to tease her lover as much as she had teased her, she starts nibbling on one of her nipples and caressing the other with her thumb. Haley starts breathing deeper. "Oh god, don't stop" she says. Brooke does as she is told and now starts sucking at her nipples. Haley bites her lips, but can't keep a soft moan from escaping. Brooke moves back up to kiss Haley but her hands travel down. She soon reaches the last piece of clothing that hasn't been thrown on the floor. Haley's wetness had caused it to get very moist, which, if possible, turned Brooke on even more. She moved down to get rid of it. She took her time though, wanting to tease Haley at best she could. While moving down, her hands slid all over her body. The sensation of her fingers, made the skin heat up, leaving traces of her fingers all over Haley's body. While sliding the wet panties off, Brooke blows on the sensitive skin. She soon moves back up and places her body so their hot and wet centers meet. The sensation gives them both such a rush that they moan into each other's mouth as their kiss continues. Their bodies rock against each other and they are both getting closer and closer to their orgasm.

They break the kiss, both in desperate need of oxygen. Haley finds enough breath to whisper with a husky voice: "I want you inside me". With that said, Brooke moves her hands towards Haley's sex. She cups her mound in her palm and can feel the heat emanating. She then slides one of her fingers inside the moist folds, caressing her intimately. The only sounds coming from Haley are sighs and moans. She can feel her muscles tighten around her finger. Now it's Haley's turn to grab the sheets as her body comes closer to a climax. She lets out a scream and closes her eyes so she can ride the glorious waves of her orgasm.

Brooke moves to the side, lying on her back next to Haley. She too is out of breath. She can't not touch Haley for long though, so she moves closer again, kissing her forehead and snuggling closer. Haley opens her eyes and smiles. Their lips meet once more, now both lying on their sides. Brooke cups Haley's chin and the kiss becomes more passionate. Haley places her hand on Brooke's back, pulling her as close as possible. Neither of them had expected everything to be so perfect. Lying in each other's arms, feeling each other's heart beats and drowning in each other's scents, all of this made them feel like there is nothing they can't overcome. As long as they had each other, as long as they could be together, everything would be alright.

Warn out from all the emotions and sensation over the last hour or so, they both fall asleep in each other's arms. They shift and turn during the night, but never move away from each other's touch.

When Haley wakes in the morning, she feels at peace, so whole, she almost cries. She looks over to her girl and kisses her forehead. Part of her wants to wake her and make love to her, one of the best ways to start a day. Another part of her just wants to watch her sleep. The light of the rising sun is coming through the window and has the most beautiful effect on Brooke's bare skin. Brooke is lying on her stomach with her head facing Haley. Her eyes are still closed and the expression on her face can only be described as angelic. Haley gives her another kiss and closes her eyes again, wanting to dwell once more in memories of last night.

* * *

So here's the next chapter, I know many of you have been lookin forward to this for a while. I hope it lived up to your expectations!  
Reviews are, as always, very welcome!

Until next time :)


	10. The morning after

Chapter 10: The morning after

It's a beautiful Sunday morning. Birds are singing, trees are blooming and two girls are waking up from their passionate night together. Hopefully the first of many to come. There is a faint knock on the door. Brooke slowly opens her eyes and collects her thoughts. She glances at the clock and realizes that it's probably breakfast at the door. She grabs the night gown she didn't get around to wearing and walks over to the door. There she finds the bell boy with a tray of all kinds of food. She quickly grabs Haley's purse, since it's the nearest, and tips him. She then closes the door and moves the tray further in the room.

Haley still hasn't noticed anything going on around her so Brooke decides to give her a very pleasant way to wake up. She crawls back on the bed and start kissing her neck. She discovered last night that there's one of her sweet spots just behind her collar bone. Haley keeps her eyes closed but starts to make little noises. Brooke continues the kissing and moves one of her hands to the inside of her thigh. Another spot that makes Haley's eyes roll uncontrollably. The sounds become louder and Haley's body starts to react more. She whispers just loud enough for Brooke to understand: "Don't stop. Yeah ... Right there … " . She then finishes with a scream waking up any neighbors that might have been asleep. She opens her eyes to find Brooke looking at her with huge smirk on her face. After she's done catching her breath she says: "That's a nice way to wake up", and kisses Brooke softly. "It gets better" Brook answers, "Breakfast just arrived".

"That is good news" says Haley, whose stomach just started to grumble. "Too bad I have to put clothes on though."

"Don't do that just yet" Brooke quickly replies, with a voice that clearly indicates that she's about to do something naughty.

"Why not? You have yours on." Haley asks, curious to find out what her sometimes kinky girlfriend has in mind.

Brooke takes off her clothes and walks over to the tray. She takes a plate filled with strawberries and tells Haley to lie down and close her eyes. Haley does as she is told and soon feels several soft objects being placed on her bare skin.

"Open your mouth" Brooke says, and just the sound of her voice is making Haley wet all over again. She opens her mouth and Brooke kisses her with a strawberry in her mouth. Brooke takes a can of whipped cream, and sprays it all over Haley's body. Haley starts to laugh and Brooke starts eating her breakfast. She starts at the bottom, licking all the whipped cream and eating the strawberries. Soon Haley can't lie still anymore. She turns Brooke around so that she's on top of her now and kisses her. There was still some whipped cream on her, so now it's on Brooke's bare body as well. As their kiss deepens, suddenly a phone starts to ring. Haley breaks the kiss and with not a lot of patience picks up the hotelroomphone. "Hello?" she asks, wondering who could call them right now. "In an hour?" she asks, with obvious disappointment. "Yes, of course. Okay, thank you" She puts the phone down and looks at Brooke. "What's wrong?" she asks.

"That was the reception." Haley explains. "The guy from the limo called and said that he'll be here in an hour. There was some mix up and he can only drive us around for another 2 hours and since we're at least an half hour from home … "

"That's too bad" Brooke says, getting out of bed. "I was kind of hoping we could have a nice long shower together before having to go home." She adds with a smirk, trying not to have the moment ruined too much, she quickly continues: "But a quick shower will also be great, just leaves us with plenty of anticipation for our next night together."

Haley smiles at that and walks over to Brooke. "I really love you, you know" she tells her, just before she gives her a sweet and loving kiss.

"I love you too" Brooke says, after their lips part.

They then head over to the bathroom and are soon covered in soap. They help each other cover all their skin and then rinse each other off. Though they often kiss and touch each other, they manage not to get carried away so that not too much time passes till they're putting their clothes on. Forty minutes later, they're putting the last of their stuff away.

"Gotta check out some time" Haley says. She grabs her stuff and followed by Brooke they exit the room. They take one last look at the bed and smile, remembering how perfect their night together was. When they reach the reception, Geoffrey, their driver, is already waiting for them. They hand him their stuff and leave the roomkey at the desk. Just as they're about to enter the limo, Haley's cell starts to ring. She checks to see who it is and says "It's Nathan, I guess I better take it". Brooke nods in agreement and opens the door so Haley can take a seat.

"Hi honey" Haley answers, trying not to sound too disappointed.

"Hi Hales, how's the trip?"

"It was great, we had a really good time catching up." She says, as she sends a wink towards Brooke.

"That's good to hear. When will you be back?"

"In an hour or so, depending on traffic."

"Okay, that's great. I'll see you soon then. Enjoy those last minutes of freedom, Jamie and I will be waiting for you at home."

"Okay, that's great, see you soon. Bye."

Haley closes her phone and it's silent for several minutes. Being able to leave their lives behind for a while, was great, but sadly that world knows their number. Haley can't help but feel bad about how she's misleading her husband. She's a good person and wanted to be a good wife, but things just aren't turning out that way.

Brooke's also thinking about the men in their lives. She felt bad for having to hurt other people in order to get her happiness, but she knows it will be worth it in the end. She looks over at Haley and can tell she's lost in a similar thought. She moves closer to her and Haley instantly lays her head on Brookes shoulder.

"Kind of a mood breaker, huh?" says Haley.

"A bit yeah" Brooke answers and she starts stroking Haleys hair. "I had hoped that we could spend a bit more time in our own little paradise." She continues after giving Haley a peck on her head. "But we've got to deal with the other people in our life somehow."

"Let's not decide anything just yet," Haley says, wanting to enjoy the time they've got left for as long as possible. "I just want to lay in your arms for a while. It's my favorite place in the world at the moment. The other people in our lives, are going to have to wait for a little longer."

Here's my next chapter, finally. Sorry for the wait, just needed to work on it a bit longer.  
I hope you all liked it. Reviews are very very welcome!  
Until next time!


	11. The kiss of goodbye

Chapter 11

The ride home was pretty good, considering it had cut their day short. They had filled their time coming up with ways to call their get-togethers. So far they had come up with 4 good ones. Each is code for something they would be doing together and they would make sure no one else would be joining them.

"Shopping" would be during the day, so they would meet at Brooke's store and drive off to somewhere remote enough so they wouldn't run into anyone familiar. Brooke mentioned a secluded place she had heard about and suggested they might try that one out. If they liked, they could make it their place. They should always make sure they had some bags from a shop when they got home, but with Brooke being a shop owner, that shouldn't be too hard.

"Coffee" could be at any time. When they needed to see each other, mostly just to talk, they would go for coffee. The lie wasn't too big in this case, but no one would quite realize just what they would be talking about. The convenient thing here was that they didn't have to leave town or go somewhere no one would see them. As long as they kept their cool and didn't show too much PDA, they would be fine.

"Dinner and a movie" wasn't always a big lie. If one of them had an empty house where interruption was sure not to happen, they would meet there, have some food and watch a movie together. That situation wasn't exactly a common one, so they would most likely go to a restaurant for some dinner and afterwards either to the cinema or to a hotel room. Whether or not they would actually be watching a movie, would of course depend on what they're in the mood for.

"A mani & peddi" finally, was their favorite. Since it usually refers to a visit to the beauty parlor, they decided this should indicate their getting naked and have a full body workup. Not one you'd be able to get at a salon though. They would rent a hotel room and spent their time making love to each other.

By the time they had agreed upon what phrases to use for what kind of get-together, they were driving through the streets of Tree Hill. Haley was to be dropped off first, so their time together was coming to an end. Since they wanted to say goodbye properly, they asked the driver to stop out of sight from anyone in the house. They both got out of the car and hugged each other tightly. The embrace lasted several minutes, neither of them were ready to let go just yet. Eventually Brooke was the first to let go. She put her hand on the necklace around Haley's neck; it was the one she had given her last night.

"It really hurts to say goodbye right now, 'cause after our time together I don't ever want to let you out of my sight again." As she's saying the words, she realizes just how much truth is in them and small tears appear in her eyes. "But it won't be long 'till we meet again, and until then my angel with look after my angel."

Haley laughs and looks her lover straight in the eyes. "There won't be a moment that I won't think of you, during this time that we're apart. I just …" There's more she wanted to add to that, she had it all thought out in her mind, but standing there in front of the woman she loves, all she could think to do is kiss her. And that's what she does. The kiss was filled with emotions. All the love they feel for each other was there, but also the pain and sadness that came with having to say goodbye.

* * *

Just a short one, I know, but it felt right to end the chapter here. I've already started on the next one so with any luck it'll be ready by the end of next week. Let me know what you think and ideas on what should happen next are always welcome!

Until next time! Lucy


	12. Two Seperate Lifes

Chapter 12

_Brooke's POV_

Haley has just entered her house. No doubt, Nathan was waiting anxiously for her to return to him. Why does everything have to be so complicated? If only she didn't have a husband and son and I didn't have a boyfriend, things would be so much easier! Sure, we found a way for us to be together as often as possible, we even put some humor in it, coming up with those alibis. But being all sneaky in love is way overrated. For now though, it'll have to do. I won't hold of telling Julian for much longer though. I still care about him and I don't want to lead him on. But I want to talk to Haley about it first. Just so she knows why and that there's no pressure for her to leave Nathan. She has a lot more to consider than me, so it's normal that she goes about it differently.

"Miss?" the driver calls to her "I'm sorry, but I don't have much time left. Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be" I know is sound a bit dramatic, but that's the way I feel right now.

_Haley's POV_

The moment I walked into the house, Jamie came running towards me. He jumped into my arms and hugged me.

"I missed you mommy!" he says to me.

"I missed you too sweetie" I hold him close and give him a kiss on his forehead.

"Did you have a good time with uncle Lucas and auntie Peyton?" he asks me.

For a second I don't know what to say, I'm not really used to lying to my son. He's still so innocent and perfect, I don't wanna say or do anything that might end up hurting him. I decided to tell something that was partially true, that way I would feel less guilty and it might not bite me in the ass later.

"I didn't see uncle Lucas actually, he had to leave all of a sudden, but Brooke, Peyton and I had a great time. We ate at this beautiful restaurant and took a late night walk, it was like old times."

Nathan enters the room and walks straight towards me. He gives me a peck on the cheek and tells me he missed me. I tell him I missed him too and give him a sweet smile. I felt trapped right then and there, it was like I was living two separate lives. One is the picture of the perfect family: loving mother and father with a beautiful little boy. Just the way we were taught life should be. The other is a less traditional picture, yet one that's most desired. The problem is that in order to get one, I might have to sacrifice the other, and that's something that I'm not ready to do just yet.

_L__ater that evening, in Haley & Nathans bedroom_

I can't sleep. All I can think about is what happened last night. All I wanna do is go over to Brooke and hold her in my arms. Instead Nathan is holding me in his arms. I used to feel so save in his arms, but now I just feel out of place. I know he loves me, I love him too, but things are just different now. I need to start thinking about what I'm gonna say to him. He's gonna be heartbroken no matter what, but maybe I can find a way to break the news without him disappearing from my life. He's a great father and I don't want Jamie growing up without him. If only I could rewind time. If I had realized that I would end up falling head over heels for Brooke, maybe I would have taken advantage back when I was living with her. Not taking advantage of her of course, taking advantage of the situation. God, now I'm actually talking to myself and making sure I don't misunderstand myself. This is just getting a bit too crazy. Maybe I should try to get some sleep, it didn't work the last five times I closed my eyes and started counting sheep, maybe number six will do it.

_Meanwhile at Brooke's_

_Brooke's POV_

God, this bath feels so good. It would be even better if Haley were here. I can just imagine the two of us, relaxing in each other's arms, surrounded by bubbles. What I wouldn't give to have her with me right now. But of course that's not possible. She's probably in bed with Nathan already. The thought alone … let's not dwell on that, only happy thoughts tonight. Maybe I should sent her a text, let her know I want her wet and naked with me. Mmm, there's a thought. I better get dried up now, my skin is starting to wrinkle and although I'm feeling kinda hot right now, the water's pretty cold.

_A bit __later in her room_

What will I type? "Hi sweetie, just took a long relaxing bath. Wish I had you with me". No, that's not good enough. Ooh I know, "Hey there sex kitten. I see you and me, no clothes and lots of bubbles in our future. I kind wait to see how that turns out ;-)." Nah, that's a bit too much. I need it to be sweet but sexy and with just a touch of 'your my forever' in it. This might take me a while …

_The next morning_

_Haley's POV_

'_Beep Beep' (goes the alarm)_

Finally, I've been waiting for it to go off since 6 a.m. Luckily that gave me a chance to go over my plans for today. First of course, there's breakfast. Jamie walks up in about 20 minutes so I'll have that ready by then. Then I'll take him to school. The weather seems nice, so I might go for a walk. I can also go see for that gift for Brooke. I hope she'll like it. I'm meeting her at noon, I can hardly wait! What happens afterwards doesn't really matter, I'll probably won't be able to thinks straight for a while. Haha, nice one Hales. Ooh, I've got a message on my cell. Pretty sure I know who that's from. 'Hi sweetie, was just thinking about you. Can't wait to have you in my bed again! Sweet dreams, see you tomorrow. XOXO' Ooh, so sweet. She's definitely getting a thank-you later.

* * *

Again, the update was a lot later than I had expected, sorry about that. As you could see, I tried something new with the whole perspective thing. Didn't really feel so good, so I'll probably change back next time, which could be a while with family get-togethers (not looking forward to it!), with lots of studying that needs to be done (another not so enjoyable event) and starting the new year with friends (which I so need). Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in some time for one of my favorite things to do, fanfiction :D. Let me know what you thing! Until next time ;-). Lucy


	13. An afternoon at the pool

It's a new day at Tree Hill, North Carolina. Our girls have been spending several weeks meeting each other behind everyone's backs. Apart from the occasional awkward situation where they manage to escape exposure by merely seconds, no one around seems to have noticed the love that's been growing between them. Although it's nice that they've been showing each other regularly how much they love each other, it's obvious that the secrecy is making it less and less fun with every passing day. After all, when you love somebody, you want to let it show. On a warm afternoon, the girls are having a drink by Haley and Nathans pool, while Nathan is playing basketball and Jamie is off to school.

"I wish I could lie by this pool all day every day. There's nothing I love more than lying in the sun, with a pool in reach and my beautiful girl by my side." Brooke says, just as Haley is walking back outside.

"How about a cocktail to add to that mix? I know it's only 2, but I just really felt like it." Haley says, wearing the biggest smile while walking over to her girlfriend, first giving her a peck on the cheek and then handing her the drink.

"Wow, that's a great idea! We should definitely do this more often." Brooke answers, before taking a good gulp from her drink.

"Well, you can always come over. It's not like anyone would mind you being here. Plus with Nathan starting training again, I suppose there will be plenty of afternoons when we have the house to ourselves."

With a statement like that, Brooke automatically sees the two of them making the most of their free time. Apparently Haley was imagining the same thing, because all of a sudden she finds herself being straddled. They start kissing and the heath is rising fast. The passion is still as intense as it was the first night they made love, but the connection between their bodies is even more intense since they have discovered more and more sweet spots that they can take advantage off. Just as the little clothing they have on is being removed, the chair they're on is starting to give. Too consumed in their love making, neither of them seem to notice what's going on until their movements cause them to crash down on to the floor. After realizing what they've done, they break out in laughter. When they've regained their breath, Haley is the first to say something.

"Talk about falling hard for someone, or in this case on someone" she says, with a mischievous smile.

"Nice one honey, you're just lucky you were on top this time, 'cause down here, not so funny"

"Ooh I'm sorry baby, I hope you're not too hurt … " She says while getting up and rearranging her clothes. "Wait a minute, what do you mean on top this time?"

"Nothing, honey, I'm just teasing. With most of my boyfriends I was always on top, I guess I'm just still surprised when it's not." She explains as she follows Haley's example.

"Well, I'm not one of your boyfriends am I?" Haley fires back, with a similar hint of teasing. "I'm a lot hotter" she says while moving closer to Brooke, and at the same time closer to the pool "and I'm definitely a lot smarter."

"You've got me there" Brookes smiles, as she allows Haley to approach even more. Just as she's about to go in for a kiss, Haley gives her a good push and Brooke goes flying off into the pool.

When Brooke resurfaces, Haley says to her: "Just my way of saying that I quite enjoy being on top." When she sees the look on her face, she realizes she's gonna get a similar treatment if she doesn't escape soon. She starts in the direction of the house, but Brooke's a lot faster than she had anticipated and she manages to toss her in all the same.

While the girls are having their fun in the pool, neither of them took notice of someone entering the house. Just as their playing around is getting a little more intimate, Chris Keller walks in.

"Hi there, ladies, hope I'm not interrupting …"

Being caught off guard with the sound of someone's voice, the girls quickly let go of each other and try to be as casual as possible. When they notice who it is, they're both instantly frustrated. Not only do they both have some history with him, but there's also a possibility that he saw just a bit too much and he isn't known for being able to keep a secret.

"Chris? What the hell are you doing here?" Haley shoots of, while getting out of the pool and putting a towel around her, thinking: '_thank god we put our clothes back on'_.

"Don't be too disappointed, I come baring good news"

"That is not very likely" Brooke states, while she grabs her towel as well.

"Trust me, you're gonna like what Chris Keller has to say. Lucy, a promoter I've worked with in the past, was looking for a location for a benefit and some more artists who would be prepared to perform. I told her I knew a place where she could find both, so here I am. What do you think, is Chris Keller a genius or what?"

"Chris Keller should really give a bit more information, because last time I checked he wasn't known for doing things out of the goodness of his heart." Haley fires back, getting more frustrated but a bit curious as well, since there's a potential gig involved.

"Lucy asked for my help and is likely to help me with my next album if I pull through, there's nothing more to it really. Besides, I'm sure there isn't a day that goes by without you wanting to sit behind your piano and just start playing. Have you written any new songs lately?"

"I've been writing a bit yeah, I've recently found new inspiration." While saying this, she looks over at Brooke so that she knew it was thanks to her. "But I've been away for a while now, so I'm not sure whether I can get up on a stage again, or whether anyone wants me there."

"It's only gonna be for one night, I bet you're gonna love it. Lucy's best friend is a huge fan of yours, and I'm sure there are gonna be lots of other people wanting to see you perform again. Please Haley, it would mean a lot to me."

"It's definitely tempting and I can't remember ever hearing you say please, so this Lucy girl must be pretty good. I'll think about it and let you know, okay?"

"That's great Haley." Chris yells out, with a huge smile on his face, knowing he pushed all the right buttons. "There's a party tomorrow night at a club nearby, you and Nathan should come. I'll introduce you to Lucy and you can decide whether you wanna join us for the benefit or not."

"Okay, I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out."

"Excellent, another job well done for Chris Keller" he says, glancing over at the girls. He noticed the looks they'd been giving each other and decided it might be best to leave them to it, since it seemed like he was interrupting something. "Well, I better go, I've got a few more things I need to take care off. I'll make sure your names are on the list for tomorrow. See you later girls."

Chris walks out the door and a few minutes later they hear his car leaving. Brooke and Haley spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool, enjoying the sun and their time together. They decide to both go to the party tomorrow night because music still means a lot to Haley. Even though the offer came from Chris, it's still a great opportunity.

* * *

Hi guys, here's my next chapter :). Exams are finally over so I've been able to continue my writing. I've already got a pretty good idea how the next chapter is going to be (the party), so hopefully it won't take too long to write it down. Let me know what you think! Lucy and her friend will also be appearing then, I'm not sure yet how big their role is going to be, but Brooke and Haley will always be the main characters ;-).

Until new time, Lucy


	14. The Party

Chapter 14: the party

The next day, around 8 pm, there's a lot of people attending the party Chris spoke of. Some are men and women with deep pockets, looking to spend a little on a good cause. Others are artists who are willing or considering performing the night of the benefit. Nathan, who immediately wanted Haley to perform, is deep in conversation with one of the investors about the project this benefit is going to support. In fact, he's so deep in conversation that he completely misses out on the glances his wife is throwing around, trying to find the person who she really wants by her side.

Brooke brought Julian tonight. Even though their relationship isn't exactly a relationship anymore, she could hardly come by herself. The night would be though no matter what, seeing how she would hardly be able to spend any time with the love of her life. But if it meant she'll be seeing Haley on stage soon, she's more than happy to keep up appearances. Brooke has always thought Haley looked extremely hot on stage and having recently been told that she's had a muse-like influence on the rock star, is making her very anxious to hear some of her new songs.

When Haley sees Brooke with Julian at her side, her heart breaks a little. It wasn't until now that she realized how much it probably hurt Brooke to see her and Nathan together. Right then she decides that it's finally time to come out to Nathan and make her and Brooke public. Seeing how they're at a party however, she can't come clean yet. The benefit is in about a month from now, so she considers that to be her deadline. Between tonight and the benefit, she's finally going to tell Nathan the truth and let everybody know that she's in love with Brooke. Just as she's about to make an excuse to Nathan so she can go find Brooke, a woman walks up on stage and asks for everybody's attention.

"Hello everybody, my name is Lucy and I'm the one who'll be trying to convince all of you to help me out in a project I've been working on, called 'Music 4 kids'. I'm not going to bore all of you with the little details of this project, that's what the pamphlets are for." All around the club, laughter is starting. Obviously most people are having fun and are eager to hear what's coming next. "Instead I'm going to let the kids benefitting from this project speak for themselves. This short documentary is about several unprivileged kids who would want nothing more than to play music or sing, but don't have the means to do it. Our 'Music 4 kids'-project has been searching for kids all around the US who want to become just like their idol and just might have the talent to get there. Please direct your attention towards the screen and let their musical souls find a way into your heart." The audience starts clapping and as Lucy leaves the stage, she gives a signal to start the video.

From beginning to end the audience is enthralled by the boys and girls that tell their story. When a young boy plays the drums on a self-built drum set, everybody smiles at the enthusiasm he shows while using chopsticks as imaginary drum sticks. When a young girl shyly introduces herself and then performs 'I will always love you' almost bringing tears to everyone's eyes, nobody in the room can deny that these kids are well worth spending time and money on.

A while later, Lucy, Haley and Chris are discussing the concert and the possibility of Haley singing. "It would mean a lot to have a great artist like you performing, it would definitely attract a large audience." Lucy tells Haley, while looking directly into her eyes. "I would be happy to perform, I'm at really in awe of what you're trying to do for those kids. It's so admirable." Haley says, unaware of Lucy's attempt at flirting with the young rock star. Chris however did notice and excuses himself to see from a distance what Lucy might be up to. "You're a great song writer, your lyrics are always so powerful. Have you been working on some new material lately?" Lucy asks, gently placing her hand on Haley's shoulder. "Actually I have, this concert is really good timing 'cause I've been wanting to record a couple of songs and this way I can try them out, hopefully people will like it." Haley answers, still unaware of Lucy's efforts.

Nathan, who had gone for some drinks and had ended up in conversation at the bar, did notice the glances that the promoter was giving his wife. While he was rather enjoying the exchange, he decided to go rescue his wife before the situation got out of hand. On the other side of the room, someone else had also noticed the bit of flirting going on. Brooke however, failed to see that Haley didn't realize what Lucy was trying to do and felt her jealousy rising.

Just when Nathan approaches the two, another guest joins the girls. Nathan is just close enough to hear Lucy introduce her as Jules, her best friend and a big fan of Haley. As Nathan joins them, he hands a drink to Haley, gives her a peck on the cheek and gives the other women a smile. Lucy and Jules start talking to each other in a way that no one else can follow. Since they're distracted, Nathan sees it as the right possibility to tell Haley what she doesn't seem to have noticed.

"Hales, I don't know if you noticed, but Lucy seems to be quite interested in you," he tells her, with a huge grin on his face. "Yeah, I know" Haley answers to his surprise, "She's very keen on getting me to perform at the benefit." Nathan tries hard not to burst out in laughs. "That's not exactly what I meant, actually" Haley stares at him, wondering what he means. "What do you mean? Why are you laughing?" she asks, still not yet able to connect the dots. "She's flirting with you Hales, you really have bad gaydar."

When she realizes what his words mean, she's lost in thought for a while. Was that girl really flirting with me? Did she know somehow that I'm gay? If she can figure it out, other people can to … Suddenly she really wanted to go find Brooke. She needed to talk to her, take comfort in her and to hear that everything is going to be okay. Then she heard her name being called. She got out of her head and saw Nathan staring at her.

"Haley, are you okay? You really had no idea, huh?" Nathan said, worry spread over his face, wanting to know what was going inside her wife's mind. Haley digested his question and decided she should convince him that it didn't mean anything. She started laughing. "Wow, I can be pretty clueless sometimes huh." She said, hoping Nathan wouldn't press the matter and would just think she was a bit thrown at the fact that a woman was hitting on her. "I need some air, I'll be outside a while, okay?" she says, actually wanting to go find Brooke. "Yeah, that's fine. Want me to come with?" Nathan answers. "No thanks, I'll be fine." She gives Nathan a sweet smile, gives the girls a friendly nod and disappears into the crowd.

Brooke saw the whole thing and is now wondering what exactly happened. She sees Haley move towards the ladies room and follows her. When she walks in, Haley is in front of a mirror, trying hard to keep her tears inside. Seeing how upset her girl is, makes all the jealousy disappear. She walks over and puts her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey sweetie, is everything okay?" Brooke asks in a soft voice, filled with love and worry. "Oh, Brooke, I'm so glad you're here!" Haley says, while holding her close and burying her head in her neck. "There was this woman, the promoter, and she was hitting on me, but I didn't know but Nathan did and then it got a bit weird and I didn't know what to do so I …" Brooke felt a major rambling coming on, so she decided to do what was sure to put a stop to it. She released the hug so she could cup her face and gave her a sweet and passionate kiss. Just like that Haley started to relax, but this wouldn't last long because while the girls were in their moment, someone else walked into the room …

* * *

Here's the next chapter, I hope you like it! It took me longer than I thought, but since the next one is pretty much a sequel, I'll try my best to finish it as soon as possible. Please read and review, I really need to know that people enjoy reading this … I hope you liked my characters Jules & Lucy, they haven't played a big role yet, but they are likely to appear here and there in the next few chapters. They represent me and someone really important to me in my life :). Until next time, Lucy


	15. What will happen next?

Since this is a special chapter, some explanation is required beforehand. There are 5 different situations that can follow on the previous chapter. I will leave it up to you to decide which way I should take. There will be a poll on my profile page open until the **10th of March**, I won't be able to continue writing until then, so please let me know what you think.

* * *

Chapter 15: What will happen next?

_previously_

"Hey sweetie, is everything okay?" Brooke asks in a soft voice, filled with love and worry. "Oh, Brooke, I'm so glad you're here!" Haley says, while holding her close and burying her head in her neck. "There was this woman, the promoter, and she was hitting on me, but I didn't know but Nathan did and then it got a bit weird and I didn't know what to do so I …" Brooke felt a major rambling coming on, so she decided to do what was sure to put a stop to it. She released the hug so she could cup her face and gave her a sweet and passionate kiss. Just like that Haley started to relax, but this wouldn't last long because while the girls were in their moment, someone else walked into the room …

All of a sudden the girls hear someone cough. Realizing they had been caught in an intimate position, Haley and Brooke look over to the door, hoping the person they'd see wasn't someone they know.

Situation 1: Nathan

"Haley? What the hell are you doing?" Nathan had been worried about his wife, since he wasn't able to find her outside, she went to look for her in the ladies room instead. What he saw there, was something he had never imagined possible: Haley and Brooke holding each other close, lost in an intimate kiss.

The look on Haley and Brooke's face said it all. Of all the people that could've caught them, he was the worst. He was the one person that would hurt the most after learning the truth. He was also someone that could come between them, given the fact that he was the father of Haley's child and therefor capable of taking him away from her.

Haley pulled back from Brooke and ran over to Nathan, wanting to calm him down and talk to him, before he might do something stupid. Nathan had already turned his back and headed back into the room, where he disappeared amongst the people. Haley soon lost sight of him, having too many people surrounding her. She retreaded back to the bathroom, hoping her girlfriend was still there.

Situation 2: Lucy

"Sorry to interrupt" said Lucy, with a huge smirk on her face. "I guess I was right about you after all, haha, Jules owes me 20 bucks." "Lucy, hi" Haley said softly, completely embarrassed. "Have you met Brooke?" she asks with hesitation, trying to change the subject so that the blush on her cheeks could subside. "Hello Brooke," Lucy says, still wearing that smirk, as she reaches her hand out towards Brooke. "Nice to meet you." Brooke feels the jealousy rise up again, as she reluctantly shakes her hand and flashes a somewhat irritated smile. "Listen Lucy, obviously nobody else knows about us, could you maybe keep it to yourself? We're not ready for everyone to know just yet." Haley explains. "Don't worry, " Lucy quickly replies. "I won't tell anyone, I know what it's like to have someone else telling someone about something like this when you really wanted to do it yourself, and I'd never do that to anyone. But just some friendly advice, don't hold off too long. You'll feel better once you've told and the longer you wait , the bigger the chance of them finding out about it through someone else." Lucy walks over to a stall to do what she actually came there for and leaves the girls to think about what she said. They both leave the bathroom and walk outside instead. They decide to meet up later using the "Dinner and a movie"-code so that they could spend some time together and decide on what to do next …

Situation 3: Chris

"Okay, that's hot" the girls hear a far too familiar voice say. When they look over, no one other than Chris Keller is standing there, looking very excited. "Chris," Brooke screams, "What the hell do you think you're doing? You do realize this is a girls bathroom, right? You're not supposed to be here!" Chris keeps smiling, even though Brooke is shouting pretty loud and storming towards him, looking ready to throw a punch. "Chris Keller thinks he's exactly where he should be, and I don't just mean wanting us to form a nice little threesome" When he sees both Brooke and Haley glare at him angrily, he quickly continues his story. "Nathan's out looking for you Haley, thought you might like a heads up before he checks out the bathroom." Brooke's anger fades hearing his explanation, even though Chris motives are hardly ever what they seem, if it had been Nathan that walked into that room, the anger would have been coming from someone else entirely. "Where is he?" Haley asks, her voice cracking and her eyes still watery from the emotions that had driven her into Brooke's arms. The little anger left inside Brooke faded, when she heard the emotions in Haley's voice. Brooke walks over to Haley, takes her hands into hers and whispers softly: "Why don't you go find him … Make sure he doesn't suspect too much, we'll meet up tomorrow and have a good long talk about what we're going to do next, whether we tell him or wait … Okay, sweetie?" Haley looks up at her, still some tears left in her eyes. She turns to Chris, asks him to leave and searches her purse for some make up to make her look less like a crybaby. Once she looks a bit more decent, she gives Brooke a goodbye kiss, promises to call her to make plans for the next day and leaves the bathroom to go looking for Nathan.

Situation 4: Julian

"It all makes sense now." Brooke looks over to the door and finds Julian staring at them. "I knew something was going on, I suspected you were seeing someone, now I know." Brooke could see the love in his eyes and felt terrible for hurting him, but the inevitable has finally come and there's no way back. "Julian, I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't … I didn't expect for this to happen, it just did … I really cared for you, I still do, I just fell in love with Haley and as it turns out, she's in love with me too." As she stops talking, she looks over to Haley with a loving smile, displaying all the love her heart caries for her in her eyes. Haley smiles back, both happy that it's not Nathan but disappointed that it is Julian. Julian notices the exchange and can tell the love between them is strong. He hadn't expected this, he had had many situations in his head, but this one hadn't crossed his mind. "Well I guess this is as good a time as any to give you the news." He says, trying not to let the disappointment and anger in his voice take the best of him. "I was offered a job a few days back, great opportunity, would be a great step forward for my career. The only problem is, well was, the job is in California …" He explains, avoiding looking directly into Brooke's eyes. "When would you leave?" Brooke asks, not sure how she should react after hearing that news. "The job starts a week from now, so pretty soon." Nobody seems to know what to say anymore. When another woman walks in, Julian realizes he's not supposed to be there. He asks Brooke that they can talk later and he leaves the room, leaving Haley and Brooke to digest what just happened.

Situation 5

Lucky for them, it is in fact a stranger. She doesn't give the girls much attention and walks over to a stall. Haley and Brooke suppress the giggles ready to rise after having a big scare. Once they've regained their breath, Brooke softly speaks up. "I thought for sure we were caught, if Nathan or Julian or Chris had walked in, things could have gotten way out of hand …" "This is a girls bathroom, chances of them coming here are rather small." Haley says, convinced of the certainty that comes with that statement. They give each other another kiss. "You okay to go back out there?" Brooke asks, not unaware of the fact that her girlfriend was just inches from tears a moment ago. "I just needed to be held by you for a while, I'm fine now, I promise." She tells Brooke. "How about we make tomorrow another day for just the two of us? We'll pack some food, head out into the city and have fun, like we used to, before everything got so complicated. Then afterwards we can decide where to go from there, because after coming this close to someone finding out like this, I think it's about time we come clean." Haley couldn't agree more. They set a time for them to meet the next morning, give each other one last kiss and head back out, holding hands. The moment they step outside, they stop holding hands and start pretending again, for a little while longer.


	16. A day in the woods

So here it is, the next chapter =). Want to know which situation was chosen? Just keep on reading ;-).

Chapter 16: A day in the woods

_Previously_

All of a sudden the girls hear someone cough. Realizing they had been caught in an intimate position, Haley and Brooke look over to the door, hoping the person they'd see wasn't someone they know. Lucky for them, it is in fact a stranger. She doesn't give the girls much attention and walks over to a stall. Haley and Brooke suppress the giggles ready to rise after having a big scare. Once they've regained their breath, Brooke softly speaks up. "I thought for sure we were caught, if Nathan or Julian or Chris had walked in, things could have gotten way out of hand …" "This is a girls bathroom, chances of them coming here are rather small." Haley says, convinced of the certainty that comes with that statement. They give each other another kiss. "You okay to go back out there?" Brooke asks, not unaware of the fact that her girlfriend was just inches from tears a moment ago. "I just needed to be held by you for a while, I'm fine now, I promise." She tells Brooke. "How about we make tomorrow another day for just the two of us? We'll pack some food, head out into the city and have fun, like we used to, before everything got so complicated. Then afterwards we can decide where to go from there, because after coming this close to someone finding out like this, I think it's about time we come clean." Haley couldn't agree more. They set a time for them to meet the next morning, give each other one last kiss and head back out, holding hands. The moment they step outside, they stop holding hands and start pretending again, for a little while longer.

As Haley arrives at Brooke's doorstep, she has a sudden flashback of their first date. She's having the same nervous feeling that worried her but made her extremely happy at the same time. That night turned out to be one of the most romantic and wonderful nights of her life. They've had a lot of great moments since, and she was sure that today was gonna make their list of favorite times together.

The alibi had been set, since Haley was going to perform on stage in a couple of weeks, it wasn't hard to convince the guys that they needed to go out shopping. Little did they know that Brooke was going to make something especially for her and so their shopping trip easily became the alibi for what could be one of their last trips together, in a world where no one knew their business.

"Hi sweetie," Brooke said, interrupting Haley's thoughts. She gets into the car and gives Haley a kiss on the cheek. "Hi tiger," Haley responds, coming back to the present, with a smile already placed on her face. "So, where do you wanna go?" She asks, since they didn't have time last night to discuss their destination. "Well, there's this beautiful spot not far from here. There's a great view and it's absolutely perfect for the pick nick I've got planned." Brooke says, in that teasing voice of hers. It wasn't until Brooke mentioned the food that Haley noticed the basket in the backseat. "I'm guessing the foods in there?" She says, nodding towards the basket. "Yeah, it's not that much, but it'll get us where we need to go." While glancing at the backseat, Haley noticed another bag next to the basket. "What's in there?" She asks, now wondering even more what it is that Brooke's got planned. "That," she says, "is a surprise. I've wanted to go there with you for a while, so I've gather a few things I thought could come in handy."

Since Haley knew Brooke pretty well, she wasn't that surprised to learn that Brooke had something more than a simple pick nick planned for today. Trying to get Brooke to reveal her plans was something she hadn't managed to achieve in the past. Now, however, she suddenly had a great idea that might just do the trick. She knew Brooke was waiting for her to ask her to explain, her facial expression said it all, but she decided that two could play that game. "Sounds great," she says, sounding as plain as she could. "just tell me which turn to take and we can start our day together."

Haley started the car and followed Brooke's direction when needed. The trip turned out to take about forty-five minutes. During that time the girls fully enjoyed each other's company. With one hand on the wheel and another in Brooke's hands, Haley had the feeling that today was going to be perfect if she could just keep their fingers intertwined. When Brooke announced that they had arrived at their destination, she was surprised to see that there was nothing really special about it. There were trees all around them, but that didn't seem all that romantic. She parked the car and they both stepped out. When Haley looked at Brooke, she could see a smirk on her face. She couldn't keep it in any longer so she asked the question she'd been dying to have answered ever since they took off. "Okay, what exactly is the plan? 'Cause I have to say, it doesn't look all that amazing to me …" Brooke smiled and walked over to Haley. "We're not there yet, we have to go by foot the rest of the way because you can't drive there." Haley found herself waiting for a bit more information, but as usual Brooke kept it to herself. They then linked arms and started over a small path towards their actual destination.

A bit later they could see a spot with more light, indicating an open space. As they approached it, they heard water from a nearby river becoming louder. Just before they could see what was actually there, Brooke stopped. Haley stopped too, wondering if something was the matter. "What's wrong?" She asks, "Why are you stopping?" Brooke kept smiling and pulled out a blindfold from her bag. When Haley saw what was in her hand, she immediately started protesting. "You're kidding right? I'm not putting that on! What if I trip or something. That would definitely take the romance out of today." Brook walked closer to Haley and said in a matter of fact voice: "Come on baby, don't you trust me? It's not that much further, I promise. I just want you to really be thrown by the view. You know I won't let you fall." Haley looked into those pleading hazel eyes and knew in her heart that there's no one in the world whose arms would be saver. So she took the blindfold and placed it on her eyes so she couldn't see. Brooke took hold of her and at a slow pace they walked towards the open space. The sound of water running kept getting louder and Haley's curiosity was rising even more. When they finally came to a stop, Haley felt her hands being put on a tree. "What's going on? She says. "Why are you making me hug a tree?", being slightly amused and anxious to see. "I just need my hands for a minute, I'll be back in a sec." Haley heard ruffling and was moments away from pulling of her blindfold. She resists the urge however and not much later Brooke's hands were back in hers and her blindfold was being removed. "Count to five, then open your eyes." She instructed, quickly moving into position.

She did as she was told and then opened her eyes. What she saw, was far more beautiful than she would have guessed. The small open space turned out to be a waterfall with just enough space beside it for the pick nick blanket Brooke had laid out. The water and sun coming together between the trees, was nothing short of breathtaking. On the blanket however, lay the most beautiful view of all. While Haley had her eyes closed, Brooke had taken of her clothes to reveal her bikini and was now lying half naked on the blanket. Too stumped for words, Haley walked over to Brooke and started kissing her fiercely. Brooke gladly received the gratitude coming from her girl and soon they were so caught up in each other, nothing could interrupt their love making.

All of sudden there was something moving behind them and it was getting closer and closer. Seeming to be too caught up to even hear a bomb go off beside them, they didn't notice anything. Then suddenly Haley felt something tickling her feet. It didn't strike her as odd at first, but when she realized both Brooke's hands were where she could see them, a little warning light came on. She broke their embrace, much to Brooke's surprise and disappointment. Before Brooke could ask what was wrong, Haley said in a just hearable voice: "Is there something standing at my feet?" Brooke looked over to where she assumed her feet were, and saw a squirrel nibbling on her toes. The sight before her and the fear coming from Haley made Brooke laugh. She started laughing, tears fell from her eyes. Haley, still unaware of the danger they were or weren't in, didn't quite understand what was so funny. When Brooke saw Haley's confused expression, she managed to say through her laughter: "Squirrel!" Haley then looked over to the animal and started laughing as well. The small creature was spooked because of the noise and hurried back into the forest.

After being so suddenly interrupted, they decided not to let their guard down anymore. Still wearing practically nothing and still feeling pretty hot from what had occurred just moments before, they decided to talk a swim. Brooke had been smart enough to take a bikini along for Haley to wear, but just as she had hoped, she didn't feel like wearing it. They decided to go skinny dipping instead and spend for what seemed to be hours, splashing around in the water. All that splashing caused for them to get pretty hungry, the little food they had brought wasn't enough so they dried their selves off, put their clothes back on, gathered their stuff and headed back towards the car.

"I kind of thought that we'd be pretty hungry when we left this place, so I looked up possible places for us to eat afterwards." Brooke told Haley, walking towards the car. "That was rather presumptuous of you, don't think?" Haley replied, knowing all too well that it wasn't actually that surprising, but wanting to tease Brooke anyway. "I just know I'm hard to resist." That response made Haley laugh even more which caused for Brooke wanting to tease her back so she started tickling her. "Don't worry, it's not a squirrel this time." She said playfully. Seeing the look on Haley's face, she knew she had pushed it just a bit too hard, so she ran towards the car. Haley took off after her and tackled her just in time so she could straddle her and tickle her all over her body before she reached the safeness of the car. "Say you're sorry and that the squirrel was lucky and that you promise to give me a foot rub later." She demanded from her girlfriend, wanting payback for being laughed at. "Okay, okay" Brooke lets out in between laughs induced by the tickling. "I'm sorry, that squirrel was one lucky squirrel." Haley stops tickling, so she can say what she asked her to say. She places her hands on Brooke's wrist and holds them down. Her face is inches from Brooke's. Just as Brooke leans in to kiss her, Haley pulls back, looks deep in her eyes and says: "And?" Brooke, aching to have their lips meet, quickly says in the most seductive voice she could come up with: "I'd be more than happy to rub your feet or any other body part anytime you want." Not being able to resist Brooke when she's talking dirty, she leans in for the kiss and lets down her guard. By the sound of their tummies rumbling, they break the kiss and decide to go get some food.

Brooke takes the directions she had printed out the day before. After studying it thoroughly, they start looking for the diner. It doesn't take them more than 10 minutes to get there and famished as they are, they immediately find their selves a table and order their meals. When the food arrives, they just sit their together, feeling happy and in love and like nothing could take this beautiful day away from them.

When their deserts arrive, they start feeding each other, making sure that there's food left on their lips so they can lick it off each other. There aren't too many people in the dinner, so they manage to do so without getting any unwanted attention. Their table is a bit tucked away and only when entering the diner, you'd see Haley's side of the table. As they start on their last bites, the door for the diner opens and in walks a young couple. Since they didn't expect someone they know to come in, they don't pay much attention to them. The couple, however, does know Haley and walks over to say hi to her and who they assume will be Nathan at the other end. "Hi Haley," says Quinn, surprised but happy to see her little sis. When Haley hears her name, she turns and is stunned to see Quinn and her boyfriend Clay standing before her. "Hi Nathan," Clay starts to say, but when he sees Brooke sitting there instead, he quickly swallows his words. "Oh Brooke, I didn't expect to find you here, with my sister, who's married, seemingly feeding each other like a couple would do …"

* * *

So here it is, I hope you all liked it! As you could see, I went with situation 5, the stranger, it did after all get the most votes. Like what you see? Please let me know! Any suggestions are always welcome :). Will Haley come out to her sister? And if she does, how will Quinn react? :p What do you guys think?

Until next time! Lucy


	17. Confrontations

**Chapter 17: Confrontations**

Quinn had never expected Haley to cross the line. She had heard from her indiscretion with Chris back in the day, but that was a long time ago. Since then their vows had been renewed and their son had been born. Sure, there had been obstacles along the way, but she always thought that they had made their connection stronger. So when she walked into this diner and witnessed her sister and her sister's best friend in a much more than friendly scene, she couldn't believe it. She was less than subtle in confronting them, but she couldn't understand how her little sister could do something like that.

"Oh Brooke, I didn't expect to find you here, with my sister, who's married, seemingly feeding each other like a couple would do …"

Brooke hadn't seen this coming. The whole day had been perfectly planned out, they just had to get through the day and they would start letting people in on their secret. Just one last day where it was just the two of them, that was all she had wanted. Now, everything was ruined.

"Uhm, I … " Brooke let out, not finding the words that could make this go away. She looked over to Haley, tears ready to fall from her eyes. She was afraid she would turn her back on her, end their relationship and pretend nothing had happened, just so she wouldn't lose her family. She tried to look in her eyes but she didn't look back. Just as she was losing the last shred of hope she had, she felt someone holding her hand. She looked at the fingers that were intertwining with hers and when she looked back at Haley she had a small smile on her face and a look of determination that made her fall in love with Haley all over again.

"Quinn, listen" Haley started to explain in a firm but not too loud way so that they wouldn't draw too much attention to them, "I know this probably comes as a shock to you, but I promise you, this isn't just some fling or experiment. Brooke and I are in love and we've been seeing each other for a while now."

Quinn wasn't fixed on hearing what Haley was saying, but when she heard this "thing", whatever it was, had been going on for a while, she interrupted immediately.

"What do you mean for a while now? How long has this been going on?" Unlike Haley, she didn't really care who was listening, so she didn't care to keep her voice down. She looks at Haley, clearly wanting an honest answer. Haley, however, was hesitant in giving it, since she knows Quinn isn't going to like it.

"It basically started on our movie night. After you left we started talking and we eventually realized we had feelings for each other …"

"That was weeks ago, you've been lying to us this whole time? Plus you were high that night, that's not the best way to start any kind of relationship. I can't believe you would do that to Nathan and to Jamie. This is just so wrong, and I always thought Taylor was the black sheep of the family."

Brooke and Haley started to protest, not wanting their relationship be belittled to a bad decision under influence of weed. "Just save it, both of you," Quinn said, feeling fed up with the whole situation. "Come on Clay, we're leaving, I can't stand to be around my sister right now." Clay, smart enough to stay out of the fight, followed Quinn out the door, his head filled with thoughts about how his favorite player and close friend would take the news of his wife cheating on him, with a girl no less.

Brooke and Haley sat in silence, Quinn's words still hanging heavily in the air. Eventually Haley breaks the silence. "I can't believe this is happening, she wasn't supposed to find out this way. Everything is ruined now." Brooke didn't respond, she was still dumbstruck by what had happened just a few moments ago. She looked over at Haley and saw the desperation in her eyes. "I know this is bad," she started, wanting to comfort her girlfriend, "but it's going to be okay. Once Quinn gets her head around this and sees how good we are together, I'm sure she'll come around." Brooke knew it was little comfort, but there really wasn't anything else to say. She looked over at their plates, feeling far from hungry, and signaled the waitress for the check. When the waitress came over she had a weird look on her face. Obviously she had overheard at least part of the fight that had occurred. She gave her the money and gathered her things. Haley silently grabbed her things as well and they head towards their car.

_Meanwhile with Quinn & Clay_

After driving a couple of miles, the engine starts to sputter. Slowly the car comes to a stop as Clay manages to maneuver to the side just in time. "Damn it," Quinn yells out. "This is just perfect, we finally go on a date together and first we find out my sister is cheating on her husband with the godmother of their child and now the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere …" She reaches for her phone wanting to call a tow truck, but soon discovers that there is no reception. "And of course, the middle of nowhere has no cell phone range. What the hell are we supposed to do now?" She asks, to no one in particular.

Luckily Clay is pretty good in a crisis, and has an answer ready. "We past a house like ten minutes ago, maybe fifteen. We could just walk there and ask for help."

"That's not a lot to go on. We don't even know that someone lives there, let alone that they have a phone. Maybe we should just wait for a car to pass by?"

"I haven't seen too many cars on this road so far, so that could take a while." Clay says, not too keen on standing on the side of the road for hours on end, while the night falls down on them. "It'll be dark soon, so if we reach the house and it's empty, we can always just spend the night there and deal with things in the morning, at least we'll be save. We could always hope for Haley and Brooke to pass us by, since this is the only road towards Tree Hill, but who knows when that'll be."

Hating the prospect of having to sit in the same car as her sister and her lesbian lover, or whatever Brooke is, even if it means getting home, she suddenly finds the idea of the house much more appealing. "Let's find that house." She says, and they start walking back up the road.

_Back at the diner, in Brooke's car_

Brooke and Haley are sitting in the car, many thoughts going through their minds. Eventually Brooke speaks up, after many minutes of silence. "Penny for your thoughts?" She says, looking at Haley. "I'm just thinking about what it would be like to face Nathan right now. I know we need to tell him and deal with consequences, but after what Quinn said, I just can't go home and pretend any more. I won't be able to lie to him, if he asks about today, I just can't take it anymore …" She lets in a pause, and continues stating very clearly what she means. "If I go home tonight and see Nathan, I'm gonna come clean."

While Brooke understands why it would be so much harder to lie to Nathan after tonight, she's convinced that the timing isn't right. Haley is very emotional and fragile right now, and she needs be as strong as possible when she tells her husband that she's in love with someone else.

"I get that Haley, I really do, but this isn't the right time. We should do this during the day, sit down together and ease him into it. We only have one chance in telling him the truth, and the way he hears it will influence all the conversations that follow. We need him to be understanding and able to hear us, that's going to be difficult as it is. If you tell him tonight, it would seem like you only came clean because we got caught. We should just do as we planned, go out to dinner so he won't make a scene and without Jamie around so he doesn't hear it from eavesdropping."

Haley knows Brooke's right, but still can't stand the idea of lying to him, even for just one more night. "You're right, you're right," she says, being grateful that at least one of them still has a bit of clarity in her mind. "But the thought of coming home, having him walk towards me and kiss me, is just too much right now. I really don't think I can face him tonight."

"Then don't." Brooke says, forming an idea in her head, benefitting the both of them. "We could go to my house and spend the night there. We could tell Nathan that we fell asleep watching a movie or something after a tiring day of shopping."

"Another lie? Don't you think we've done enough of that to last a lifetime?"

"This would be the last lie we tell him. Making up a story, one last time, so that we can be together. After tomorrow, we won't have to do that anymore."

Brooke could see Haley warming up to the idea, rather a new little lie than continuing even further with the big lie. Haley gave the okay and so they headed back home.

_Somewhere on that road …_

"How much longer do you think?" asks Quinn, getting tired of walking and not knowing what they'll find when they get there.

"Shouldn't be too far," Clay answers. "I'm thinking behind that curve."

Luckily, he was right. Just past the curve they saw a little house surrounded by trees. It didn't look like much, but since there was a car outside, there was definite potential of inhabitants. They walked towards the door and gave it a knock. A few minutes later a man opened the door.

"Can I help you?" He says abruptly, starring at them with a not so friendly smile.

"Yeah," Clay says. "Our car broke down and we can't seem to get reception on our cells. Any chance we could use your phone and call a tow truck?"

"Sure," says the man, and moves to the side to let them in. "Come on in, the phone's over there."

They walk inside the house, and while entering Quinn looks at the man. She has this feeling that she's seen the guy before, but since he lives in the middle of nowhere it's pretty unlikely, so she shakes of the feeling and walks further inside the house.

The interior isn't that impressive. Just enough furniture to sit down and watch some TV. It misses a certain homey feeling, the entire room seems to be missing a woman's touch. "Would you like something to drink miss?" the man asks, looking at her curiously. "Sure," she says. "Some water would be fine." The walk towards the house had definitely caused for some dehydration.

While Clay calls up the tow truck, Quinn follows the man into the kitchen where he gives her the drink. "So, where you from?" he asks, trying to start a casual conversation. "Tree Hill, we went to a diner a bit further up the road, we heard it's pretty romantic. When we got there, it wasn't exactly what we had expected, so we decided to head back home. Suddenly the car started acting out and now here we are." She explained, trying to make it seem like that was all there was to it.

Clay then came into the room. "There isn't a tow truck available until 11 pm, so we're gonna be stuck for a little while, since it's only 8 o'clock." He then directed his attention to the man. "Do you know a place that isn't too far away, where we could spend the night and grab a bite to eat? Seems easier if we just deal with the car tomorrow."

"Yeah, no problem." He answers. "There's a map around here somewhere, why don't ... What was your name sweetie?" He asks. "Quinn" she answers with a smile. "Why don't Quinn and I look for it and figure out where you can go. If you want you can borrow the truck, as long as you bring it back tomorrow. Buck's outside, he'll show you how to work it."

"Okay, thanks." He answers, leaving Quinn and the guy to go find Buck. The guy then goes into the other room with Quinn following. He opens a couple of drawers and starts looking for the map. "We're really grateful that you're helping us out like this." Quinn tells him, while looking around a bit herself. "Tonight has been quite disappointing, I'm glad it's not completely ruined."

"No problem," He tells Quinn. "You two seem like a trustworthy pair, I don't need to use the truck tonight so I'm glad to help you out." Suddenly there's a bang from outside. Quinn's not quite sure what to make of it and starts towards the exit. "What was that?" she asks, getting the feeling something isn't right. "I'm sure that's just the car, it tends to make some noises when the motor hasn't run for a while." He answers, while subtly moving towards the exit, blocking it from Quinn. "I think I'm gonna go check on Clay, see if he needs a hand with the truck." She's getting more and more intimidated by the man in front of her, definitely now that he seems to be blocking the door. "I'm sure Buck is most helpful. Hang on, I think I remember where I last saw the map." He moves towards a bunch of papers lying in the corner and pulls out a map. Quinn joins him and together they look for somewhere they could go. The sound they heard coming from outside was long forgotten.

_At the same time with Brooke & Haley_

The mood is still a bit said in Brooke's car, but the prospect of spending the night together has cheered up both passenger and driver. When they see a form on the side of the road, they first don't think too much of it. When they pass by however, Haley suddenly screams. "Stop the car!" Startled from the sudden outburst, Brooke doesn't quite get what's going on. She pulls over to the side and looks at Haley questioningly. "What's the matter? Why are you screaming?" she asks. "That's Quinn's car on the side of the road. Something must have happened to them." They get out of the car and walk over to the lonely vehicle. When they approach they smell something coming from the hood. "I think they had some car trouble, where could they have gone?" Haley says, obvious worry emanating from her voice. "I'm sure they're fine. They most have gone somewhere to get help." Brooke says, trying to comfort her. Haley gets out her phone, wanting to call Quinn's cell, but discovers as well that there's no service. "Damn, no service. She could have tried to call, but she wouldn't have been able to get through. Where could she have gone?" She asks again while looking around, wondering what she would have done in a similar situation.

"Maybe they got a lift from a passing car or went back on foot, hoping they would find someone," Brooke suggested. "I didn't see anybody on the side of the road, but we might have missed it, it is getting pretty dark. Maybe we should drive back a bit, we might see them." Haley didn't seem to hear her, her head was too filled with terrifying scenes from all kinds of movies where 2 people get stranded in the middle of nowhere. All she could think of was that it was her fault. If something happened to them, it would be because they left the diner after running into them. If only she had stopped Quinn and Clay from walking out, they could have been together when the car broke down and they would have been able to drive home in their car.

Brooke walks over to Haley and takes hold of her hands. "Haley, it's going to be ok. They probably went looking for a phone and a place to spend the night. They might already be home. Don't worry, ok?" Haley looked up into those beautiful eyes and saw the concern in them. She knew she was right, the scenes in her head were from scary movies. The people that ended up in life-threatening situations, were supposed to end up in them. It wouldn't be a scary movie if they didn't. "Yeah, you're right." She whispers, grateful to have Brooke with her, because there's no one she feels saver with. "Let's go look for them." She says, heading towards the car. Brooke turns the car around and heads back towards where they came from. She tries to keep her thoughts positive so that she can keep Haley's hope up. After a while, just behind the curve, they see the house coming into view. Both Brooke and Haley hope that's where Quinn and Clay are and soon they step out of the car towards the house. Suddenly they hear a gunshot.

_Inside the house, a few minutes earlier_

Quinn is getting nervous. Clay should have been back, she hadn't heard a single noise from outside since the bang, not a car starting or voices, nothing. The guy that let them in the house doesn't seem to want her to leave the house. So much for thinking their bad luck streak was over. "Listen, I think I'm gonna go find Clay, so that we can go find a place to eat and get out of your hair, okay?" She says cautiously, moving towards the door again. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that." He says, sounding more and more threatening by the minute. He pulls out a gun and points it directly at her. "See, I'm pretty sure your boyfriend is unconscious by now and if you don't do exactly what I tell you, he might not wake up. Now unless you want to join him, I suggest you sit your cute ass down."

* * *

Here's the next chapter. I know it took a while, but I hope the length makes up for that a little ;-). I've got two lesson free weeks coming up, so the next chapter shouldn't take that long.

As always, let me know what you think! Do you like the direction it's going? What do you guys think will happen next?

Until next time! Lucy


	18. Escape

Chapter 18: Escape

_Previously _

Quinn is getting nervous. Clay should have been back, she hadn't heard a single noise from outside since the bang, not a car starting or voices, nothing. The guy that let them in the house doesn't seem to want her to leave the house. So much for thinking their bad luck streak was over. "Listen, I think I'm gonna go find Clay, so that we can go find a place to eat and get out of your hair, okay?" She says cautiously, moving towards the door again. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that." He says, sounding more and more threatening by the minute. He pulls out a gun and points it directly at her. "See, I'm pretty sure your boyfriend is unconscious by now and if you don't do exactly what I tell you, he might not wake up. Now unless you want to join him, I suggest you sit your cute ass down."

Quinn quickly throws her hands in the air and backs away slowly. "What's going on? What do you want from us?" She sits down and starts thinking of an escape plan. The idea if Clay lying unconscious somewhere scares her to death. "Don't worry your pretty little head about that, you'll find out soon enough." Just in that moment, they hear a car stop outside the house. The guy walks over to a window to see who it could be. Seeing a window of opportunity, Quinn walks towards the door, preparing herself for the run of her life. After all, she wasn't one to go down without a fight. Just when they hear two car doors slam shut, she makes her way towards the door. The guy hears the door open and immediately turns around, ready to pull the trigger if necessary. Quinn doesn't look back and makes a break for it. She hears the gun go off and hopes that she gets away unharmed. Suddenly she feels an incredible amount of pain coming from her left arm. Not wanting to know the damage just yet, she keeps her eyes fixed on the woods surrounding the house, convinced if she makes it there she might stand a chance.

_At the front of the house_

The gunshot had made both girls think of all the possible worst case scenarios. Haley couldn't help but think this was actually going to turn into a scary movie. They hide the car, driving a little into the woods, hoping that no one had noticed their arrival. Not wanting to be caught in the middle of whatever's going on but still needing to make sure both Quinn and Clay are alright, they walk further into the trees surrounding the house. A silent agreement between the two made it clear that they would stick around until they knew the coast was clear. When they reach a spot with a clear view of the back of the house without being seen their selves, they see two man arguing.

"What are they saying?" asked Haley, filled with angst and curiosity.

"I don't know," Brooke whispers back, wanting desperately to be able to read lips. "We're gonna have to move closer in order to find out."

Haley looks up at her with fear in her eyes. "We can't do that, that's way too dangerous."

"I know," Brooke answers. "That's why I'm gonna try to get a bit closer, while you stay here."

Haley was just about to protest and make it clear that she didn't want the love of her life risking her life for something that might not be worth risking it over, when Brooke took her hands and looked into her eyes, determination emanating from the young woman.

"Look, after I was attacked, I took some self-defense classes. I'm not gonna try to be a hero or anything, but we need to know what's going on and if something were to happen, at least I'll be able to defend myself."

Haley thought really hard about what she had said. Brooke hadn't talked much about the attack and she hadn't asked because she had had her own share of life-threatening events in her life and knew how hard it was to revisit those memories. But hearing her talk about it now, made her kinda proud for the way she had taken control.

"I really don't like the thought of you approaching people with guns." She said, keeping the rest of her thoughts inside to be expressed at a later time.

"Me neither," said Brooke, trying not to let the fear surface. "But I have to do this, if we want to be sure Quinn and Clay are here and whether they're save."

Still reluctant, Haley gave the okay, knowing that they needed to do something. "Okay," She says, "But you better be careful!"

"I will," Brooke promises. "As long as you do something for me too."

"What's that?"

"Whatever happens, stay hidden. As long as I know you're okay, I know I'll be fine."

Stumped with the beauty in those words and the actual meaning behind them, Haley pulls Brooke closer and kisses her like she's never kissed anyone before. All the fear, hurt and love pouring into it. She closes her eyes, picturing the two of them somewhere where the pain and suffering that comes with reality couldn't touch them. When the kiss breaks and her eyes open, for a second she forgets reality and stay in that place for a bit longer. When she hears ruffling of leaves behind her, she's instantly pulled out of her happy thoughts and back to where the drama is.

Brooke puts a finger on Haley's lips and gestures to follow her behind a big tree not far from where they were. They move there cautiously and wait to see what they heard. All of a sudden, a squirrel appears. Both Brooke and Haley can't help but smirk at the untimeliness the creatures seem to possess. After both calming down, they give each other a tight hug and as Brooke starts looking for the best place to hide in order to get closer to the men, Haley catches her attention once more. "Be careful Brooke, please. I don't think I can live without you." Brooke looks over her shoulder and whispers to her: "Don't worry, sweetie, being sneaky is like my second nature." She whispers back in a reassuring tone. "I used to be pretty good in sneaking out the house,on the rare occasion that my parents were actually around. Just sit tight, I won't be long." She quickly runs towards a tree standing apart from the woods but still close enough to reach it without being seen. As she runs from one hiding place to another, she manages to get close enough to overhear the men talking.

"How the hell did she manage to escape?" says the big ugly guy, holding a large metal object in his left hand. With the same rusty loud voice he continues. "Keeping that chick inside the house was all you had to do. Instead you let her escape and shot at her which could have been heard by god knows who. Terry ain't gonna like this!"

The other guy with the gun in his hand and an even more pissed off look on his face but slightly gentler features answered angrily: "It's not my fault she escaped. She got suspicious when she heard a bang outside. I tried to distract her but she knew something dodgy was hap'nin. When the car stopped I went to the window to see who it was and then she ran for it. I shot at her to stop her from getting away, but I don't think I hit her 'cause there wasn't any blood. Terry ain't coming 'till 11 so we just need to find her and lock her up with her boyfriend by then. She couldn't 've gotten far."

"I'll go get the dog and take the front of the house and move back through the trees, you take the back and the woods on the left. Let's go find the damn bitch." Concluded the big ugly guy and they split up.

_In the meantime, with Haley_

Haley is so focused on making sure Brooke is alright that she doesn't notice someone moving closer to her. Not until the person coughs, does she turn around with fright in her heart. Quinn was just in time to prevent Haley from screaming out and drawing attention to them.

"Shht, little sis, it's just me. What are you doing here?" She asks.

Haley falls into her sister's arms with tears pouring out her eyes. "Quinn, thank god you're alright! What happened? How did you end up here?"

"I'll explain later, first we need to find out where they're holding Clay." She looks around trying to think back to the bang she heard before and where it could've come from.

"What do you mean? Where is he?" Haley asks, worry evident in her voice.

"I'm not sure, this guy, he tricked us, told him to go to his truck 'cause we could borrow it. But he never came back inside and then there was this bang. Before I escaped he told me he was unconscious somewhere, we need to find him."

Haley couldn't understand half of what Quinn was saying, but she gathered enough of it to know that Clay was in serious danger, and obviously so were they. "We need to wait for Brooke before we go anywhere, she went to listen in on their conversation to confirm you were here." Haley cautiously pronounced Brooke's name, knowing that the only reason her sister wasn't yelling at her, was because there were more important things happening right now, plus the yelling would draw too much attention to them.

"I know, I overheard the two of you talking before." Quinn says softly, a bit of regret sounding in her voice.

"Oh," Haley says, not sure whether she should be happy or sad about that. "I, uh …"

"Listen, Haley Bob", Quinn says before Haley can continue, knowing that the use of her special nickname would soften her up. "I'm sorry for the way I acted before, seeing the two of you together and hearing the things you were saying made me realize I was overreacting. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not happy with you cheating on Nathan, but the way you are around Brooke and the way she's so protective and everything, I know now that your feelings are genuine. I just want you to know that whatever happens next, I've got your back."

Haley's eyes start watering up again. She was so happy her sister had come around towards her relationship with Brooke. There were still a lot of conversation to be had, but at least now she had the support of her sister. She hugs Quinn again, whispering "thank you" in her ear. They smile at one another and start forming a plan to discover Clay's whereabouts as soon as Brooke joins them.

_Behind a trashcan besides the house_

Brooke had listened to their conversation and had a pretty good idea of the situation Quinn and Clay were in. The better looking one of the two men seemed very familiar to her, she was almost convinced she had seen him on TV in a show about fugitives. Now all she had to do was get back to Haley. Luckily for her, she had hidden in a spot where neither man passed by. As the mean looking guy went to a shack to probably get the dog they mentioned, the other guy went to trees on the lefts side of the house. Brooke made sure both men were out of side when she moved towards the woods herself. As she approaches the spot where Haley should be hiding, she hears two sets of voices and realizes there's someone else with her. She hides behind a tree trying to get a better view and recognizes the other brunette. She steps into view and immediately Haley jumps in her arms.

"I'm so glad your back, Quinn just found me. We need to go find Clay!" She tells her, not wanting to waste any time.

"I know, the men mentioned him being locked up somewhere and Quinn escaping." She then turns to Quinn. "I'm so glad you're alright!" She says, while walking up to her and giving her a brief hug. As she moves back, she notices some blood on Quinn shirt, on her left arm. "I guess he was wrong in thinking he missed."

"Oh yeah, the bullet found me after all." Quinn said, trying to mask her pain with some sarcasm. "It's really not that bad, just a scrap I think."

Haley walks over to her and tears her shirt to get a better view of the wound. "Actually it's not just a scrape." She tells her, since the bullet had actually made a deep wound.

"Here," Brooke says, after ripping her shirt to make a bandage. "Tie it off with this, it'll stop the bleeding for now." Haley takes the torn fabric and ties it around the top of the arm by the shoulder.

Brooke then fills the girls in on what she overheard and that she recognizes one of the men as a wanted felon while Quinn gives a shortened version of what happened to her and Clay. Having all these facts together, they soon decide on a plan. First they'll call help using the phone inside the house. Next they'll try to find Clay, hoping that since the two men are looking for them, no one is left guarding him. Whatever happens though, the three of them will stay together.

* * *

So here's the next chapter. I know, another cliff hanger, but the end is near (not the story's end, just this part of it ;)). I hope you guys like it! Reviews are very welcome as always! I just wanna say thanks toeveryone that has stood by the story so far, I hope I can continue this for a while. Any suggestions are always welcome as well.

Until next time! Lucy


	19. Calling for help

Chapter 19

Before the girls make their way towards the house, they make sure their plan is solid. They need to make sure the men don't realize that they're inside the house, and they definitely need to make sure they don't discover Haley and Brooke's presence.

"Okay, we need to get moving if we want to make sure we're save by the time that guy arrives," says Brooke, wanting desperately to get a move on things. "Hales, you take the front door. Make sure no one approaches us from the front and keep an eye out for passing cars. If something alarming were to happen, just let us know and hide as soon and as best as you can." Haley nods and is set on being the best look out she can be. "Quinn, you need to make sure you reach the outside world. Find the phone, dial 911, give them as much information as you can on the situation we're in. We can't be sure no one's listening in, since the phone you made to get the car towed was probably a hoax, but it's the only chance we've got." Quinn nods as well, hoping with all her heart that she'll be able to reach someone for help. "I'll be at the back door," Brooke concludes, "I'll also keep an eye out. This way they won't be able to reach us without being noticed. On the count of three, we head over to that tree and then towards the house. Ready? One … two … three!"

The girls make a run for it, one goal on their minds: the house. With as little noise as possible, they reach the save shadows surrounding the house and open the door. No one speaks, they are all set to do what they had planned. Brooke quickly walks around the house for anything useful and finds a sharp knife in the kitchen which she hands over to Haley. As she heads over to the backdoor, she picks up something heavy looking, convinced it would help her if there was a fight. Meanwhile, Quinn dials 911, their only chance on making it out of there alive.

"911 emergency, how may I direct your call?"

"Hello? This is Quinn James, me, my sister and her girlfriend are in danger. There are two men outside looking for us with guns and my boyfriend is lying somewhere unconscious. We need help! Can you get here please?" Quinn starts explaining very fast, relieved that she actually managed to reach the outside world.

"Calm down miss." The woman on the other end says. "Could you tell me your location?"

"I don't know. We were driving home, towards Tree Hill and the car broke down. We found a house and wanted to call a tow truck but ended up at gunpoint instead …"

"Hold up miss." The desk lady interrupts. "We're tracking your location with our system so keep on the line as long as you can. Try explaining as much as you can. Was someone shot?"

Quinn starts explaining what happened, and was just about to say that one of the men outside was a wanted felon when she realized she hadn't heard the person on the other end for a while.

"Hello? Are you there? Is someone coming?" She asks, not sure why she's not getting any reply. Just as she realizes the phone must be dead, she begins to see it as a sign that their whereabouts might be compromised and sets out to warn the others. Her assumptions appear correct, when she hears a scream coming from the front door. _"Oh god, Haley!"_ She thinks and gets there as soon as possible, but not in time. What she finds is Buck, the ugliest one of the guys holding Haley tight to him with the kitchen knife against her throat.

"There you are," He says in a mock cheerful tone. "I've been looking all over for you. And I see you found a friend. She wasn't much good to you though, one little distraction by the dog and the lookout became the hostage." The fear in Quinn's eyes makes him smile as she takes Haley further inside the house, not bothering to close the door since he thinks it's over now. "Why don't you sit down? There's really no escape now." He tells her with a strong conviction in his voice. His confidence wavers a bit when he sees the phone of the hook, but then his smile reappears. "I see you tried to call someone. Doubt you could have reached someone though, since I just cut the wires." The look on Quinn's face confirms what he thought had happened and he releases Haley while pushing her towards some chairs in the living room. "Why don't you both sit down and sit still while I call for my buddy to come inside. He's gonna be even happier to see you."

The girls sit down next to each other, holding hands. Their plan failed, miserably, and now all they could do was wait. Maybe Brooke could find a way to get them out of there, but chances of that happening weren't all too great. At least they didn't know she was there, that was definitely an advantage.

_Just outside the house, hiding behind the same trashcan she hid behind earlier_

Brooke's heart was beating so loud, she was afraid it would give her hiding spot away. The moment she heard a man's voice, she ran out, hoping she wouldn't be seen. She managed to sneak a peek through a window and saw Quinn and Haley sitting together with fear evident on their faces. She had to do something, she was the only one left, and she had to find a way to save them. She then heard the man's voice calling out a name. Soon another voice answered and as she heard a door close. She knew then that she was the only one left outside the house and therefor the only hope.

Clay, she thought all of a sudden. Now that they were all inside, it was the perfect time to look for him and try to free him. At least that way, they could stand a chance. She looked around for a hiding place, when she sees a part of dirt where nothing's growing on. Curiosity and hope taking the better of her, she cautiously moves there, making sure she can't be spot from the house. As she approaches, she notices the bit of wood visible through the dirt. She starts moving the sand along with her feet, hoping she finds some kind of handle to open the trap door that seemed to be located there. Luckily she pots the metal ring and makes a strong effort in opening it. After several attempts, she's finally able to open the door and finds Clay lying on the floor in a space that seems to be about 10 feet deep. She climbs down the ladder and runs over to Clay.

"Clay? Clay?" She whispers, while shaking him by his shoulders. "Clay wake up, I need your help!" The panic she's feeling becomes more and more obvious by her tone of voice. The fact that her girlfriend is out there with two dangerous men, capable of god knows what was getting to her. She knew she needed to be strong, for everyone's sake, but she was very close to giving up. "Clay, dammit, wake up! Haley's in danger and so is Quinn, we need to get out of here before someone gets hurt." Or worse, she thinks to herself, not able to express the thought out loud. Clay isn't showing any sign of waking up and Brooke's losing all hope.

Looking around frantically for anything that could help, she finds a sink in the corner of the room. She heads over there and turns on the water. She can't believe her luck when water starts pouring out. She tastes the water to see if it's any good and to nurture the thirst she's had to neglect the past few hours. Satisfied with the quality of the water, she fills up her hands and moves as much as she can towards Clay. After a few trips to the sink and back, Clay seems to be becoming aware of the sensation of cold water on his skin. He opens his eyes and coughs a few times. "What's going on?" He manages to ask.

* * *

I'm so very sorry for the wait. School's been way to busy the past few weeks and I haven't been able to fully focus on this chapter. It's still a bit short unfortunately, but I have the next chapter ready in my head and I'm going to try my best to finish it within the week. After that exams are up, so it'll be a while before I'm able to write again. I hope you liked it, not my best work, but necessary to get to the next part of the story. Reviews are extremely welcome as always! Until next time, Lucy


	20. No more running

Chapter 20: no more running

Clay opens his eyes to find a very panicking and sad Brooke looking down at him. Amazingly though, her beauty is still completely intact. Brooke explains what happens, and even though his mind is still a bit blurry after being unconscious, he understands plenty to want to put an end to this nightmare. They head back upstairs and slowly move towards the house.

_Inside, at that very moment_

The moment Buck entered the house, things had gone from bad to worse. He was very happy to see Quinn, as John had predicted earlier. "Ah, the little witch is back. You cost some trouble for us, Quinn." Shocked with him using her name, she looks up with fear in her eyes. Recognizing the look for what it was he starts laughing. "Forget we had ya purse, did ya?" He says, holding up the bag that she had left in the hall near the phone.

"Well Quinny, I'm gonna be real happy when Terry's here, I'll make sure he has something special planned for you." He walks over to the couch and grabs her by the arm. He then pulls her along and presses her against the wall. "That'll teach to misbehave!" He pulls his hand back to slap her and just as his hand is about to slam into her face, Haley yells out. "Don't hurt her!" Surprised by the sudden outburst, he turns around to face her. "Oh, how nice, your little girlfriend doesn't want me to hurt you." He says in a tone drenched with sarcasm. "Maybe you should get a slap to, since you did try to help her escape." John moves towards Haley, who's inching away but sadly has no way to run. Just when John's about to strike, there's a knock at the door.

The two men look at each other, both assuming it's their boss. "Saved by the bell," says John. He lowers his arm and heads towards the door. When he opens it however, there's no one to be seen. "No one here," he says. "Maybe it was the backdoor." Buck now releases Quinn and pushes her towards Haley. "I'll get it." He says, and opens the door.

Unaware of the possibility that someone other than Terry could be at their door, he opens it without paying much attention and gets a wooden branch on his head as a reward. "That'll teach you to hurt my girlfriend," says Clay and he gives him a kick in the stomach. His gun scatters across the floor and Clay pushes it aside. Knocked out from the blow, Buck stays on the ground, unable to fight. John then realizes the danger and grabs his gun. He then gets hit on the head too, this time by Brooke, who had managed to sneak up behind him. "And that'll teach you to hurt mine."

Brooke and Clay share a short smile and then move to their respective girlfriends. "He didn't hurt you did he?" Brooke asks, holding Haley so close that she can barely answer. "I'm fine, they didn't hurt me," she whispers, hugging Brooke back, tears coming down from her eyes. "So much for not trying to be a hero, huh," she says, when Brooke pulls back. They too share a smile and then a lingering kiss. "If I have to choose between being reckless and saving you or being a coward and letting you get hurt, I'll be your hero every single time." Her eyes are shining with tears ready to fall. The only thing Brooke wants to do for the rest of her life is holding Haley and keeping her save. "I won't let anyone come this close to hurting you again, I promise."

But the moment those words leave her mouth, her promise is already broken. So caught up in seeing each other again, none of the girls or even Clay noticed John standing up and reaching for his gun. He places the gun against Brooke's head. "Get up!" He says, the two words spoken with such power that it causes a chill to run down her spine. Brooke releases Haley's hands and slowly moves back. "No." Haley whispers, looking her in the eyes. "It's okay," she mouths back, swallowing hard before turning around towards John. As she looks straight at the barrel of the gun, she's lost for words. The only thing she can think of at that moment is protecting the love of her life, standing behind her. She finds herself smiling, knowing that she could die happy, having spent so much time with her one and only. She looks up at John and looks for a sign that might make it clear whether she'll be taking her last breath, but she doesn't see anything. The man standing before her might be holding her at gunpoint, but he doesn't seem like a killer.

As everybody's eyes are on John, apart from Buck's since he's still unconscious, no one notices the man entering the house. He was tall, dark and handsome. Everything about him made it clear you should stay out of his way.

"Lower your gun," the man says, moving towards John. "She's no use to us death. I mean, look at that body, they'll pay double for her, easy."

John lowers his gun, and for a second seems extremely relieved. "Terry, hey, you made it." He says quietly, not wanting to show how intimidated he is in his presence.

"Yeah," he answers. "I told you I was coming. Now what do we have here? I thought it was just 2 people, but I count 4. And why is Buck unconscious?"

"Well those two," he says, while pointing at Clay and Quinn "had some car trouble. The other two probably saw the car and came looking for them. They tried to overpower us, that's why he's on the floor. But as you can see, they've got no one left to rescue them now."

"Good, I was almost worried I had to get rid of you like my other incapable employees, but looks like you managed to save the day. Buck, however, might be a little less lucky." They both look at the lifeless body at the door but neither show much affection for his current state. They simply let him lie there unconscious, since it's his own dumb fault.

"Do you have something to tie our guests up with?" Terry suddenly asks, interrupting whatever thoughts John was having. "Euh," he answers, while thinking it over. "I think I've got something outside. You want me to grab it?" "Yeah, it might make escaping a little more difficult when you're tight up, if you know what I mean." John nods and heads for the door. He silently steps over Buck's body and disappears into the garden. It was pas 11 by know, and darkness had set around the little house.

Inside, there wasn't much light either. Terry looks at the two couples and looks straight at Brooke. "You," he says. "What's your name?" Brooke reluctantly pulls her eyes away from Haley and looks up at the man. Wondering for a few seconds whether she should lie or not, she realizes it doesn't really matter anymore at this point. "Brooke." She answers, barely loud enough for him to hear. "Okay, well Brooke, could you look around for some matches? Might come in handy when we're tying you up." She stares at him, not sure whether to take him seriously. He smirks and speaks again. "Now, if you please?" Brooke gets up and walks towards the kitchen. "Whatever you might be thinking about arming yourself, I wouldn't try it. The boys probably don't have any descent knifes in here, and even if they do, your girlfriend will probably be dead long before you're able to hurt one of us."

Brooke silently continues towards the kitchen, her eyes pointed at the floor. _It's obvious this guy's the leader_, she thinks to herself. _Too bad he's actually got a brain._ Despite of the warning he gave her, she makes sure to register every tool she finds in the closets and drawers in the kitchen. It doesn't take her long to find the matches, but she continues her search for when an opportunity might just come along.

"Any look?" Terry asks after a while. "If you need some motivation, I'm sure I can arrange that."

The tone of his voice reminds Brooke of the seriousness of the situation. She's been through almost every closet in the kitchen, and besides a frying pan she didn't find much to fight them with. "Found them." She answers, trying to make it sound like she isn't terrified but failing at it.

"Good," he answers, smile still in place. "Why don't you light some candles then? But try not to set anything on fire. With those woods around, you'll be causing a lot more trouble than that's necessary."

Brooke silently does as she is told. She had never noticed how many candles were spread around the room and for a second smirked at the thought of two grown men sitting inside this house with a bunch of candles lit. Just then, John comes back into the house, carrying several cable ties with him. "Will this do?" he asks his boss, hoping he didn't mess up again.

"Sure, " he answers, looking at what he's carrying. "Go right ahead. Make it nice and tight but make sure you don't cut of their blood flow." John now looks at the couch and is almost touched by what he sees. Haley is leaning against Quinn's shoulders, with silent tears stream down her face. Quinn is softly stroking her hair and whispers something in her ear that John can't make out. Clay has got his arms wrapped around the two women, clearly hoping he can protect her from what's about to come.

"Give me your hands." He says to Clay, trying to sound intimidating. Clay, however, not convinced, doesn't move at all. Terry notices this but doesn't say a thing, he's gonna let them work this one out. John pulls out his gun and points it at Quinn who immediately flinches. "Give me your hands or else you can use them to stop your girlfriends bleeding, your call." This time John sounds more like he did before Terry arrived and Clay moves his arms away from Quinn, feeling defeated 'cause of the gun pointed at his girl. John ties his hands together using the cable ties and then moves on to his feet.

A few minutes later everyone besides Brooke is well tight up. Since they made a bit too much noise while fastening the ties, he had gagged them as well with some duck tape he had found. John looks at his work and smiles. He then directs his attention to Brooke. He pulls out a cigarette, puts it in his mouth and moves in front of her. "Light my cigarette." Clearly overcome with a large ego boost he lowers his head 'till he's inches away from Brooke's. She steps back until she hits the wall. "Come on baby, just light my damn cigarette." He puts his hand on the side of her neck, as one does when about to reach in for a kiss. Finding some of the courage that has gotten her through many ordeals, she pushes away his hand and spits in his face. "Don't call me baby."

Clearly pissed off by the humiliation she just caused him, he raises his arm and slaps her hard across the face. Haley, unable to speak or scream, is desperately trying to stand to protect her girlfriend like she protected her not to long ago. This time, Terry does intervene. "Come on now, you're not doing anybody any favors here. You know the price comes down if they're damaged." John swallows his anger and turns Brooke around. He grabs some more cable ties and pulls her hands to her back.

"Consider yourself lucky." He whispers in her ear, while she's desperately trying to get loose. "Let go of me you pig!" He puts the wire over her wrists and is just about to pull them on real tight when he hears something that puts a stop to his actions. He puts one of his hands on Brooke's mouth, muffling her cries and listens carefully. "Boss," he says, wondering if he hears it too. "Yeah," he answers. "Maybe we should go." Just a pinch of worry can be heard in his voice, which immediately gives Brooke hope again. She too strains to hear the sound that's causing their captors so much worry.

Outside a rain of sirens can be heard. It seems like they've still got some miles to go, but they're approaching, and fast. Brooke turns around, hoping John had forgotten that her hands weren't tied up yet and looks straight into Haley's eyes. She smiles at her and through her eye movements tries to make her listen as well. She nods at Brooke, indicating that she hears it to and turns her face slightly to look at Quinn. She had already heard the noise and nods as well.

John and Terry hadn't caught any of the exchanges and were gathering their things. John went to pick up Buck's gun, which still lay where Clay had kicked it earlier. Terry in the meantime started blowing out candles, hoping the dark would prevent anyone from coming to the house. "John, is it possible the police found about what's been happening here?" John knows the truth would get him into trouble, but lying might cause for even more. "I found them trying to call for help earlier. I cut the wire, but it's possible they were able to reach someone." Terry, now clearly pissed off, throws the first thing he can find against the wall, making everybody jump at the sound.

"Dammit, you idiot, I told you to make sure they don't contact anyone. How the hell did they manage to do that?" John starts muttering an apology but Terry cuts him off. "Never mind, it's done. Grab Brooke and leave the others. We'll hide until they pass us by. You better hope they don't come looking for us."

Terry walks out the back door, followed by John holding Brooke by one of her arms. Brooke had pulled her ties a bit tighter so it didn't seem like they were loose, but she was still able to free herself the moment she needed to. They found the trapdoor and opened it. "I'll take the girl, you go ahead." Says Terry, knowing he was a lot more capable of carrying her down. John lets go of Brooke and she immediately takes her chance. She kicks John in the groin and pushes him towards Terry. Terry finds himself unexpectedly on the ground with John on top of him, crying out in pain. The moment he finds his gun, he tries to shoot at Brooke, but she's already gone.

The sirens sound much closer now and Brooke runs inside the house as soon as she can. Remembering where she had seen a knife in the kitchen, she grabs it and starts untying her friends. The ties come of fairly quick and as soon as they're free, they run outside towards where the sirens are. Just as they exit the house, several cars pull up with policemen jumping out at the sight of them.

They raise their hands and Brooke yells: "There are two armed men at the back of the house, they were trying to hide down a trapdoor in the garden. Another man is inside, unconscious." One of the policemen who seems to be the leader nods towards some of his men and they quickly move to the back of the house. The man then moves towards the group and allows them to put their hands down. "I'm chief Schwahn. We got here as soon as possible, but it took us a while to figure where you were. Are you all okay? Is anybody hurt?" Just then Quinn remembers being shot and the pain in her arm. She hadn't been able to think of it much, the last hour or so. Haley is a bit quicker in remembering and puts her arms around her sister. "Her arm, when she was running one of them shot at her and hit her in the arm." The man makes a hand gesture indicating for some of the paramedics to approach. Two of them move to examine her arm and they soon ask to follow them to the ambulance. Clay takes her by her uninjured arm and they head towards their equipped van. Haley moves towards Brooke, who immediately embraces her.

The chief then directs his attention back to the two women left by his side. "Are you two alright? They didn't hurt you?" Haley doesn't move from Brooke's arms. Brooke looks up at the chief. "We're fine, just a little shocked still, I guess. Were you able to catch them?" By the tone of her voice, he knows they won't be fine until they know they're caught. "We found the man inside the house. His name is Buck Thornton. He's been a fugitive for a few months now. I assume the men with him were John and Terry? They two have been signaled as fugitives, but there haven't been any leads until now. I guess they were keeping a low profile, hiding here."

Brooke's nods and tries to stifle a yawn. "How about I give you girls a ride home? You seem pretty exhausted. I'll have someone come by and pick you up tomorrow, so you can give us your statements." Haley now looks up to. "That sounds pretty good." She smiles at the police officer and then a thought comes into her mind. "I'll go get my car, see which hospital your friends are headed and then come get you, okay?" He gives them a tap on the shoulders and moves towards where his car is probably parked.

Brooke looks at Haley and sees the panic I her eyes. "Haley, everything's okay now. Your sister is going to be fine. Every cop is out looking for those men, they won't get far." Those words don't do anything to comfort Haley. She looks up and meets her lover's eyes. "What do we tell Nathan?"

* * *

So here's my next chapter :D. I'm glad I've finally finished this part of my story, it's been hogging my mind too much :p. Please let me know what you think! I hope it managed to live up to everyone's expectations! I don't know when the next chapter will be ready. I've got a pretty good idea where I want to go from here, but seeing how I should be studying, it might take me a while to actually write it and put it out there. Any suggestions or comments are welcome as always. Until next time! Lucy


	21. Past, present, future

Chapter 21

(flashbacks are in italics)

Previously:

Brooke and Haley find Quinn's car on the side of the road and decide to go looking for them. When they arrive they find out that they had walked into a trap laid by two guys named Buck and John. Clay is being held in some room under the ground and Quinn managed to escape, but not without being shot at. Brooke overhears a conversation between the two men in charge of the operation and finds out that someone else will be coming at eleven. The girls form a plan to rescue Clay, but they don't succeed in finding him and Haley and Quinn get captured instead. Brooke then succeeds in finding and freeing Clay, but their attempt at escape is interrupted by the third party, Terry, who as expected arrived at eleven. With all four of them caught, the situation appeared to be doomed, but luckily the police showed up just in time. Buck was immediately apprehended, but John and Terry had run away. Clay had joined Quinn to the hospital and Brooke and Haley were still at the scene talking to the detective in charge while thinking about everything that was waiting for them at home.

One week later at the Scott residence

Quinn and Haley are sitting in the kitchen, there's still a bandage on Quinn's arm but other than that no one would be able to tell the hell they had just been through. On the table there are 2 cups of coffee and some cookies.

"Why haven't you told him yet? You said you were going to last week. I know things aren't exactly ideal, but I figured as soon as things got back to normal, you would do what you were planning to. You really shouldn't postpone this." Quinn says, clearly hoping to talk some sense into her sister.

Haley looks up with pain in her eyes. "I know," she says. "But everything that happened in the woods made it a bit more difficult. Nathan was really scared when he came to the hospital. I haven't found the right time to break the news, he's going to be so upset. Timing is everything when it comes down to telling your husband you've fallen out of love with him and in love with the godmother of your child. You only get one chance to say it, you can't rewind time and do it over. Then again, he almost walked in on us at the hospital last week, luckily we were able to break apart just in time, but part of me wishes he had seen it, at least it'd be out in the open."

_Flashback to the crime scene one week ago_

_Chief Schwann had offered to take them home and both girls were moving towards his car. Haley was looking a bit pale and unsteady on her legs and when they were about to get in the car, she suddenly fainted. Brooke was standing next to her and immediately caught her in her arms. There were still paramedics at the scene, and they quickly moved towards them. Haley was unconscious for a few minutes but seemed all right after opening her eyes. The paramedics took them to the hospital as well, suggesting a checkup might be necessary._

_A while later at the hospital_

"_Everything seems in order, Haley," says the doctor, holding some test results. "It sounds like you've been through quit an ordeal, so it was probably just stress related. Just take it easy for a few days, and you'll be good as new."_

"_Thanks doc," says Brooke, not having left her side for a second. "I'll make sure she takes it easy."_

_Satisfied by this, the doctor exits the room, leaving the two girls alone for the first time since all hell broke loose. Brooke, who had been standing close but not too close now sat down next to Haley on the bed. She gives her a kiss on the forehead and holds her close._

"_I almost lost you." She whispers, while tears are __threatening__ to escape her eyes. "I've been trying to be strong all night, making sure you're not harmed. And then we were rescued but you still managed to scare the sh*t out of me! I think my heart literally stopped when I saw you fall down like that. Don't you ever do that to me again!" Even though she was angrier with the situation than Haley, there was a fair amount of anger sounding from her voice. "I don't know what I would've done if they had hurt you." Sadness was now the clearest emotion sounding from her voice._

_Haley just lay there in her arms. She had closed her eyes and enjoyed the closeness between them. She knew she had scared Brooke immensely. She too had been frightened all night. "Brooke?" she softly spoke. Hearing the sound of Haley's voice made Brooke hold her even tighter. "Yeah, baby?" she said, in a soft voice, indicating that she was listening. "Can we still go to your place tonight? I could call Nathan tomorrow, explain what happened and how it seemed better to spend the night with you. I just don't want to be away from you tonight …"_

"_I would love nothing more than to take you home with me, but I actually think it's best if you go home. Nathan might already have heard, and even if he hasn't, I'm sure he'll want to know as soon as possible." Brooke really wanted nothing more than to take Haley home, but she knew she was right in saying she shouldn't. Haley knew it too, she probably just needed to hear it. _

_Since Haley didn't say anything, Brooke took that as a sign that she too knew she was right. She lifted her face up and looked deep into those brown eyes. "But I'll come by tomorrow of course." She then adds, to comfort both her and Haley. "After all, I did promise the doctor to keep an eye one you."_

_Haley smiles and thinks to herself how lucky she is to have someone with such a big heart. She leans in to kiss her but just as their lips are about to touch, there's a knock on the door. They barely have time to pull away in time as Nathan and Julian open the door and make their way towards the bed. Nathan, in his focus on wanting to hold his wife and hear everything's okay, doesn't realize what he walked in on. But the same thing doesn't count for Julian. He walks over to Brooke with a cautious look on his face._

"_Hey Brooke," He says, making Brooke pay attention to him instead of her girlfriend rapped in her husband's arms. "You want me to take you home?"_

_Brooke hears what he says, but she doesn't answer straight away. She's too caught up in the scene beside her. Even though they had only been away from Tree Hill for a day, having Haley all to herself had become too familiar. The reality that she was actually sharing her with a good friend that was completely in the dark, didn't dawn on her until that very moment._

Present day

Brooke is sitting on the couch in her living room going through a photo album. One of the pictures is from when she and Haley were living together after she'd come home from her tour. It was then that their friendship had really started to develop. Before that she only knew her as tutor girl and Lucas's best friend. The picture shows them in their pajamas with a big smile on their faces. She could remember the day as it was yesterday.

_Flashback to Haley and Brooke's apartment_

_It was around the time that Haley was desperately trying to convince Nathan she was there to stay and that Brooke was stuck between wanting to tell Lucas how she felt and being afraid to have her heart broken again. They had decided to have a girl's night in. They desperately needed some time away from their problems with men, so they had turned off their phones, locked the doors and spend the entire night in their bedroom, that way they were sure no one would disturb them. They played silly card games, talked about things from before they had become friends and fantasized about where their lives would be 5 or 10 years from now. During that night, they had really gone from roommates to really close friends. Brooke, of course, had come up with the idea to do a kind of fashion show, and of course you can't have a fashion show without a photo shoot. Each in turn, they walked around, pretending to be models (which they both can easily pass for) as the other took pictures. When they both had enough of parading around, they just lay on the bed together, smiling. Then Haley had the idea of taking one last picture before they went to sleep, so she set the camera to go off after 10 seconds and quickly jumped on the bed next to Brooke. They did a lot more laughing after that and eventually fell asleep in Brooke's bed. It was the best rest either of them had had in a long time._

Present day

Brooke is still looking at the picture and smiles. If someone had told her then that she'd be falling in love with Haley, she wouldn't have believed it. Then again, she wouldn't have believed that she'd be running a multimillion company with her mother either. It just goes to show that no one knows what tomorrow brings. One can only hope that it holds love and laughter and someone to comfort you when there's pain. Right now, the only thing she wants in her future, is Haley. She's known love in her life. Her first love really was Lucas, he was the first to treat her with respect. Losing him was the scariest thing ever, but somewhere deep inside she knew it wasn't meant to be. The love she had for Sam was very real too. Losing her was pretty horrible as well, but it did leave her with the knowledge that she would have a son or a daughter someday. And that boy or girl would know what it means to be loved.

The love she has for Haley is completely different. For one thing, she's a girl. She doesn't exactly know where she would be on the Kinsey scale, she doesn't really care either. But she knows that what they have together is what she's been dreaming of her entire life. She laughs when Haley laughs, she cries when she does and she dreams about the same things. Unfortunately there are still several obstacles to come, mainly Haley's family. She hated to be the one to break them up, but from what Haley told her, things between Haley and Nathan hadn't been right for a while. That of course still wasn't reason enough for them to break up. Plus there was Jamie to consider, she wouldn't ever want to be the one to rob a sweet boy like him from growing up with a mum and a dad. Haley and Nathan were great parents, but they just weren't the people they were when they had fallen in love.

Brooke put aside the photo album and with it the memories from what seemed like a lifetime ago. She was meeting Haley at their usual hangout, so she gathered her things and headed out. One way or another, today they would decide on what and how to tell Nathan and Jamie.

At the restaurant

Haley sees Brooke walk in and immediately smiles. She had been dreading this conversation from the moment they had gotten together, but she knew it was time. Even though things were going to get even tougher than before, as long as she had Brooke, she had hope.

Brooke walks over to where Haley was sitting. As always they occupied the table in the far corner, cozy and romantic and just out of sight in case someone they knew happened to walk by.

"Hi," the fashion designer starts. She gives Haley a peck on the cheek and takes a seat across from her. "How are you?"

They hadn't seen each other since the day after their adventure. Haley had asked for some time apart so she could clear her head and Nathan had made sure he could be home the rest of the week, so there really hadn't been a lot of opportunities for them to meet.

"I'm okay." Haley answers. "Nathan's been really sweet to me these last few days and Jamie has been reading me a bedside story every night. It was nice, feeling like a family again.

Brooke smiled, but a part of her wanted to run the other way. What if suddenly Haley realized that what she had with Nathan and Jamie wasn't worth it?

"But spending so much time with Nathan and so little with you, really made me realize something. I'm completely and irrevocably in love with you." Hearing that made the smile on Brooke's face become more genuine and chased the thoughts of Naley away. "I also realized that I could never see Nathan as more than a friend anymore. He's a great father and I love him, I always will. But I just don't feel like his wife anymore. Something's missing, and it has been for a long time. The fact that I fell in love with you probably has something to do with that, but if I'm honest, I know that I lost it way before that. I just didn't want to admit it to myself. And I know that Nathan knows this too."

Brooke was happy to hear that it wasn't just her that caused Haley's feelings to change and was relieved to hear that Haley finally saw things clear. The idea of them having an actual future together in which they had their own family and in which their friends and family knew about their love for each other, seemed to be much closer to their reach.

"But," Haley suddenly continued. "I also think that we haven't been handling this right. I had a long talk with Quinn this morning and she made me see that what we're doing is wrong. And I think it's best that we're not physically together in any kind of way until I talk to Nathan and Jamie. I'm not normally like this, I'm not someone who cheats on her husband just because she doesn't love him as much anymore. I'm especially not someone who sneaks around with her girlfriend all the time. I'm someone that wants to be open about her feelings. I want to take you out to a nice restaurant and not hide in a corner. I want us to hold hands in public without the fear of running into someone we know. Most of all, I want to kiss you in front of all our friends and let them see how much I love you instead of hiding it from them, afraid of how they might react."

Brooke hadn't said a word throughout Haley's speech. The longer she listened to her tutor girl talk, the more proud of her she became. Sure the part of not being physical with her for a while wasn't very motivating, but if it helped them become the couple they both want to be, she's more than up to the challenge.

"So what do you think?" Haley asks, desperate to know whether or not Brooke agreed with her.

"I think you're absolutely right." She answers. "Don't get me wrong, I've loved the sneaking around with you, it definitely brought some adventure to the relationship. But the thought of waking up beside you somewhere other than a motel, man, that would just be amazing."

Haley smiled at Brooke. Now that they both had their say, it was time for the big conclusion.

"So how are we going to do this? You want to tell them both at the same time? You want me there with you? Whatever you want me to do, you know I'll do it, right. Anything that could make this just a bit easier."

"I think it's best if I tell Nathan first and by myself. It's going to be a long and hard conversation and I really don't know what to expect. I just hope he'll behave like the man I know he can be. It's going to hurt him, but there are a lot of different outcomes."

"Yeah, that's true. How about I pick up Jamie later? That way you and Nathan have the house to yourselves and in the meantime I can spend some time with Jamie. It's been a while since he's been able to spend some quality time with his godmother."

"That's not a bad idea. How about you pick him up after dinner? That should give Nathan and I some time to talk."

* * *

Hi guys, so here I finally am with an update. I can't believe it's been a month since my last chapter. I'm really sorry that it took so long, but school just kind of took over my life and then school was out so the partying began :p. Thanks all of you who have been here 'till now, I promise not to keep you waiting too long for the next one.

Please let me know what you think! How do you think Nathan will take the news?

Until next time!

Love, Lucy


	22. Feeling something else

Chapter 22: Feeling something else …

When Haley comes home she finds Nathan working out in the back.

"Hi honey," he says and walks over to his wife and kisses her on the cheek. "Have you had a nice lunch with Brooke?"

"Yeah, it was good." She answers, trying to keep her voice steady. "I actually asked her to pick up Jamie later, I hope that's okay. I was hoping we could have a night in together."

Nathan is very happy to hear this and several scenarios jump into his mind. All of which contain lots of romance and end up with them making love. Now that he thought about it, it had been a while since they 've been intimate.

"Yeah, that would be great. I love having you all to myself." He answers, completely in the unknown of the actual reason for their need to be alone. Nathan goes back to his workout and Haley goes inside to check on Jamie and tell him he'll be spending some the night at Brooke's.

_Later that evening_

Haley then starts on dinner. She had decided to make one of Nathan's favorites, that way he'd definitely be in a fairly good mood. Jamie was really excited about spending time with Brooke. She always managed to come up with great ideas on how to spend time. Watching Brooke with Jamie always made her think about what a fantastic mother she would make. She had often thought about them having a child together, but in many ways it was still way too soon, so she hadn't mentioned it.

During dinner Haley doesn't say much. She was too consumed with thoughts on how to put everything to words and just trying to keep up the courage to actually make them come out of her mouth. There's definitely no such thing as the right time to tell your husband you're sleeping with someone else. He's always been someone who told the truth, not always from the start but in the end he always did the right thing. There are so many things she deeply admires about him. He really is a great guy. But she knows in her heart that they weren't meant to be.

"Can I take Chester?" Jamie suddenly says, interrupting Haley's thoughts.

"Sure, buddy." Nathan answers. "Why don't you go grab his cage, Brooke will probably be here in a few minutes.

Jamie quickly left the table, leaving Nathan and Haley alone at the table. Nathan had finished his plate, but Haley had been too focused on what to come to realize there was food in front of her. She hadn't said anything during dinner and Nathan was starting to grow worried. Haley wasn't usually this quiet, there must be something pretty big consuming her mind. Maybe she's pregnant, he thought. But then he remembered that that was pretty unlikely since it really had been a while. Must be something else then, but he couldn't think of anything. In his mind, they were still as happy as ever. Sure the whole Renee thing had stirred things up quite a bit and the recent adventure in the woods had been terrifying. But they had been through so much together, that he really couldn't see how they wouldn't be able to move on from that.

He looks over at Haley, her dinner still barely touched and spoke up. "If you hate my favorite dish so much, I can change it into something you do like." He hoped that a bit of humor would pull her out of her thoughts and get her to talk to him.

Haley suddenly realized he was talking to her since Jamie wasn't at the dinner table anymore. "Huh," she asks, trying to remember what he had said. "Oh, no, I just uhm … guess I'm not that hungry." She smiles a small smile towards him, but it doesn't come close to reaching her eyes. She knows that he probably has a feeling something 's up. She was acting rather uncharacteristically. Maybe it's best that he's prepared for some big news, that might soften the blow.

Nathan is becoming more and more worried by the minute and really wants Haley to talk to him. But just then, Jamie comes down from the stairs. "Auntie Brooke's here." He yells, probably having heard her car or seen it from an upstairs window. This immediately reaches Haley's ears and a small smile appears at the sound of her name. She gets up and walks to the door. During this time Nathan is eying her closely, hoping for some kind of indication to what this night is really about, but he doesn't seem to find one.

Had he immediately followed Haley to the door, he probably had figured it out. When Haley opens the door, she's so overcome with emotion that she practically jumps into Brooke's arms. She gives her a quick kiss on the lips, but as soon as her brain checks in, she let's go and looks around her, hoping no one had seen. Luckily for them, Nathan was in the kitchen at the time of the fleeting kiss and came about half a minute too late. The two women hadn't spoken, since they were very easily reading each other's eyes. Brooke saw the sadness and worry in Haley's and knew she was having a hard time keeping herself together. Haley saw comfort and encouragement in Brooke's, giving Haley exactly what she needed to see it through. She knew why she had to do this. She wanted to be able to kiss Brooke and not be afraid of being seen. She wanted to tell Brooke she loves her, and not have anyone stand a way of knowing what she means. She wanted them to be recognized as a couple. She wanted to kiss Brooke and make love to her without having the feeling that she's betraying her husband in doing so. Most of all, she just wanted honesty in her life. Because if you're not honest about who you're with and how you feel, your life can never be whole 'cause you're simple not honest about who you are.

"Hi Brooke." Nathan says, completely unaware of the emotions hanging in the air. "Thanks for taking Jamie tonight. It's been a while since Haley and me have had the place to ourselves." Nathan consciously slipped in a bit of a grammatical error, hoping that Haley would correct him, like she used to. But Haley didn't seem to notice which left Nathan feeling rather confused. Making him even more confused, Brooke suddenly says: "Don't you mean 'Haley and I'?"

"Right," He says, trying not to sound too disappointed that it was the other brunette that corrected him. "Guess you too have been spending a lot of time together huh, having her rob off on you so much?" This time he did notice something hanging in the air, he didn't realize it was because of his choice of words, but he couldn't help but notice the bit of awkwardness surrounding the three of them. Jamie, with as good a timing as ever, then walked towards them with his sleeping bag in one hand in Chester in his cage in the other.

"Hi aunt Brooke. Is it okay that I bring Chester?"

"Sure honey," Brooke says, while she crouches down to meet him at eyelevel. "As long as you make sure he doesn't go hopping all around the house."

That statement makes both Brooke and Haley think back to what they now refer to as 'the night when special brownies made everything possible'. During one of the films, they had heard a strange sound coming from upstairs. Both still under the influence of the brownies, they had managed to frighten each other into thinking someone was inside the house. But it had turned out to be Jamie's bunny rabbit.

"I promise." Jamie says. Brooke takes his bag in her hands and they both wave goodbye to Haley and Nathan. She casts one last look towards Haley, knowing that what happens tonight is going to change all four of their lives forever.

Nathan walks back into the house as Haley stands by the door for a while longer. She stays there until the car drives off with Jamie in the back with a huge smile on his face, waving frantically at his mother. She smiles and waves back, knowing that once he finds out what's going on, he might not be smiling at her for a while.

She closes the door but doesn't turn around. She catches her breath, collects her thoughts and gathers up all the courage she has in her. She then turns, still not having thought of the right way to do this but knowing that before this night is over, she will have confessed her true feelings.

She hears sounds coming from the kitchen and realizes that's where Nathan has gone. Apparently he had started clearing the table. Nathan notices her entering the kitchen and smiles.

"You didn't want the rest of your dinner, did you? It had gotten kind of cold." Nathan asks, while placing all the plates on the counter.

"No, I'm not really hungry actually. Probably shouldn't have made so much." Haley answers, feeling like her stomach is in a knot.

"Don't worry, we can still have some tomorrow. You know how I love leftovers, especially yours."

Haley feels grateful for the complement; he's always saying how much he loves her cooking. But at the same time, she feels deeply ashamed as he continues in comforting her and being a great and dependable husband while she has been such a horrible wife.

"Look Nathan," she starts. "I really need to talk to you. Could we maybe go sit down somewhere?"

Hearing Haley's tone of voice and the words coming out of her mouth, Nathans starts to worry. It's beginning to look less and less likely to be a romantic night for the two of them.

"Sure, sweetie, what's wrong?" He asks, as he moves towards her and takes hold of his hands.

Haley looks at their hands intertwined and thinks back to the many memories they have together. Back in Tree Hill high, everything had seemed possible. They were nowhere near a likely couple, but that made them so good in being a couple. He opened up her world to things she hadn't thought possible and gave her a very strong sense of belonging and of being loved. She still felt that way sometimes, but this time it was Brooke making her feel that way.

"Nathan, you and I have been through so much together. In the beginning everyone warned me to stay away from you 'cause you weren't a great guy, but in time I found out that you're an amazing guy. We've had our ups and downs, but even when we were down, I still knew that you loved me and that I loved you and that we would work things out." She meant every single word she was saying, but that in itself made it that much harder to continue. She looked up at Nathan who was smiling at her and she could feel the love emanating from him. He remained silent though, knowing it was best to let her continue.

"But lately, I've been feeling something else. We got married so young and part of me thinks it was too young, because I hadn't fully explored everything you're supposed to discover as a teenager and as a single woman. That's partly why I joined the tour back then, because when I was given that opportunity, I realized that there was so much left unexplored and I wanted to discover an unexplored side of me. Haley James me, not Haley Scott me. But when I was away, all I could think about was you and how much I missed you and loved you."

Still not seeing the actual destination of where her words were going, Nathan held her close and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Haley smiled at the gesture and continued.

"A lot of years have passed since then. We had a beautiful little son and built a house and a life on our own. We both reached our dreams. I became a teacher and when that didn't work out I when on tour. You got to the NBA, twice." Nathan chuckled. "But somewhere along the way, I started feeling something else." There it was again, Nathan noticed. That same sentence, she was feeling something else. "What is it that your feeling, Hales? Just tell me." He said, just wanting to know what was going on in her head so he could fix it. He always managed to fix things, he'll fix this too, right?

Haley looks into Nathan's eyes, the eyes she used to love to look into. The eyes she could read like the back of her hand, the eyes she used to drown in. Tears started coming to her eyes. She was so close to saying it, to telling him what it was she was feeling. But she was scared. What if she lost Nathan because of it? She still wants him in her life. Maybe that's selfish of her, but she can't lose him. She still loves him, just not the way she used to. Just not the way she loves Brooke.

Nathan uses his thumb to wipe of one of her tears. He then places her hands on her face and looks straight into her eyes. "Whatever it is, just tell me." His voice was so soft, people sometimes saw him as a rock. All muscles and no heart. That was nowhere near the truth. He's got such a great heart, Haley thinks. So weird if you think about his father and the bad heart he has. Unconsciously Haley's hands had moved and they had placed themselves on Nathan's chest, where his heart is.

"You're such an amazing guy, you have such a strong and caring heart. You're an amazing husband and a wonderful father. Which makes it so much clearer that this is my fault. I must be insane, 'cause how could I feel this way about someone else when I have you in front of me." The words had only just come out of her mouth when she realizes what she had let slip

That was not what Nathan had ever expected to hear. Did she just say she has feelings for someone else? When she said she had been feeling different, he didn't think she was feeling for someone else, just different for him. Guess it's both then. But who? There's no one new in their lives. He couldn't think of any man in Haley's life that she could be having feelings for.

"What do you mean, someone else?" Nathan's voice was shaking and tears had started to appear in his eyes. "Who do you have feelings for? Who is he?" His voice was rougher now. He sounded angry and extremely upset.

Haley was getting scared. Nathan could get so angry and violent. She knows he'd never physically hurt her, but was more than a little resistant to test that theory.

"I …" Haley couldn't say it, she was too frightened of her husband's reaction.

"Is it someone you met on tour or something? Someone at the label? Come on, tell me! You can't tell me you have feelings for someone and then not tell me who it is!" He was getting more and more angry, especially because he really didn't have any idea who it could be. Then it suddenly dawned on him …

"Chris …" he says, balding his hands into fists. "He's coming for the benefit. That's why you're telling me know. He's coming to Tree Hill next week and you needed to tell me before that. You still have feelings for Chris Keller."

"No!" Haley yells. "Absolutely not Chris Keller! I can't believe you could even think that, he's a jerk."

"Well, you're not exactly giving me any clues here. Is it someone new then? Someone I don't know?" Nathan wasn't keen on asking further questions, but he needed to know.

"It's not someone new." Haley says.

Nathan started walking around the kitchen, thinking who else it could be. Someone who's in their lives, someone they both probably know.

"Who? Clay? I thought he was with your sister now. Lucas is off with Peyton. Mouth and Skillz both have girlfriends at the moment. Unless you've gone completely crazy like Rachel and suddenly have feelings for Dan, I really can't think of any man right now who you could be having feelings for." Nathan kept walking around thinking of every man in their lives. He had mentioned a few more names when Haley finally spoke.

"It's not any of them."

Nathan stopped pacing and looked over at Haley. Her eyes were directed towards the floor, tears were falling from her them. He could see that she was hurting. A part of him wanted to walk over to her and hold her in his arms, telling her everything was going to be okay. Only now, he wasn't really sure of that.

"It's Brooke."

Nathan heard what she said, but didn't really hear her. He thought he must be dreaming. This was all some crazy ass nightmare. There's no way in hell his wife, his perfect, beautiful, sweet and intelligent wife had just told him she has feelings for one of their best friends. For someone he had sex with many many night ago. For someone who was with their child right now. For someone who's a woman …

"Brooke? As in Davis? As in fashion designer, presumably girlfriend to Julian and godmother to our child?" He was getting angry again. If it was true what she was saying, if this wasn't a nightmare, that there had been something going on right in front of them. All their shopping trips, their lunches and movie nights on which they had spent … the night … together?

Haley just nodded, she couldn't say anything else. She had said what she needed to say and the rest depended on how Nathan took the news. By the looks of it, not very good.

"Are you in love with her?"

Haley looked up and was surprised with the question. She didn't know what to say. She knew the answer was only going to hurt him further, but there was really no point in lying anymore. She was just about to answer when he spoke again.

"Wait, don't say it, I don't think I wanna know."

"Nathan, I'm really sorry." Haley then says. "I didn't want this to happen, it just sort of did. I still care for you so much, and I still want you in my life. But I just don't think you can be in it like you used to."

Nathan doesn't speak, he just stands there looking at Haley. Then all of a sudden he walks up to her and kisses her. He holds her close as he does so and deepens the kiss. He doesn't want anyone else replacing him in Haley's life. He's her husband. He's tried so hard to be someone she can count on and someone to be proud of. He loves her so much and doesn't want to lose her!

Haley is taken completely by surprise. Nathan hadn't kissed her like that in a long time. She finds herself getting lost in the kiss, it still feels right somehow. But then Brooke comes back in her mind and she pushes Nathan away. He could've easily forced the kiss and held her there, but as soon as she protested he released his hold.

"I'm sorry Nathan, we just can't … we shouldn't do that. It would only complicate things further."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But you still felt it didn't you? I can still feel it. When I touch your face." He put his hand on the side of her face. "When I hold your hands." He takes hold of her hands. "When I look at you, I still see my wife. I want you as my wife. I love you so much. I want us to grow old together. I want to make love to you. I need you … Maybe this is just some rebellious streak that's still in you. It doesn't have to mean anything. It doesn't mean you have to act on your feelings."

"But I already did." She then says, barely louder than a whisper.

"What do you mean? Have you kissed her?"

"She loves me back." Was all she said. She didn't wanna dwell on the fact that they had actually had a relationship for several months. "We're in love."

"What? Are you kidding me? I thought you just had feelings for her and felt guilty for that. You're in love?" He was starting to get angry again. "When did this happen? You just suddenly confessed her feelings for her and she confessed them back? It doesn't happen that way! You don't just stop loving someone one day and start loving someone else the next. Who started this? Did she seduce you somehow? I mean, I know how she can be, she's pretty sexy and alluring when she wants to be, but I never thought you would fall for that."

Haley slaps Nathan across the face. "Don't you dare talk about Brooke that way! You know her better than that and you definitely know me better than that. You think I want to be having this conversation? I married you because I was convinced we would be spending the rest of our lives together. You know how serious I am about the vows we took, I didn't go into this with Brooke lightly. And there wasn't a moment where I didn't feel like I was betraying you. But you can't help who you love."

Nathan, surprised by the slap and not caring that he might have deserved it, went back to defensive mode. "You're supposed to love me. We made a commitment to each other. You said you were going to be with me for the rest of your life. And now all of a sudden you wanna be with a woman. When you said there were things you hadn't been able to do as a teenager, I didn't think you meant exploring lesbianism."

"That's what you think this is? Exploring lesbianism? Trust me Nathan, if I wanted to do that, I would've done that it college. This isn't some experiment or phase or whatever you want to call it. We are in love. We want to be an official couple. I know you don't want to hear this, but this is the truth, okay. We've been seeing each other for a while and we're going to continue seeing each other, no matter what you think this is."

"How long has this been going on?" Nathan suddenly asks. The things that Haley said made him realize this isn't new, they've been seeing each other which probably means that all this time she'd been spending with her, they were actually sneaking around as a couple. "A couple of days, weeks, months, what? When did you stop loving me and started screwing Brooke behind my back?" He took a plate that was left on the counter after dinner and threw it at the kitchen cabinets. It wasn't directed at Haley but the noise it made scared her nonetheless. Nathan was clearly losing control and she didn't know what to do.

"Nathan, stop it. You're scaring me." Haley had backed away from him, not wanting any plates to be thrown at her.

Nathan looks over at Haley, tears streaming down her eyes. He's hurt and angry, but he manages to get a grip of himself. He needs to blow of some steam, but he shouldn't be doing that with the dishes. "I need to cool off. I'll be at the River Court."

* * *

Hi everyone, sorry it took so long to update, but I've been working and haven't had a lot of spare time to write ...  
Exactly 1 year ago (it's midnight here in Belgium :p), I uploaded the first chapter to this story :) time has definitely gone by really fast!  
I just really want to thank everyone who has been there since the beginning and everyone who joined on the way :D.  
There are still several chapters coming, so I hope you'll continue reading my story and letting me know what you think.

I made this chapter extra long, a bit of a birthday present and also because I felt certain things had to happen and be said.  
I hope you like this chapter! What did you think of Nathan's reaction? Expected?  
I promise Brooke will be more present in the next chapters, but this was very much between Nathan and Haley, wouldn't have felt right otherwise.

Until next time! Lucy


	23. Doubts

Chapter 23: Doubts

_Haley_

Haley is sitting at home, crying. She keeps replaying everything in her mind. All the things she said to him and everything he said to her. At this moment, she's not sure that he'll ever talk to her again. She broke his heart. She broke every promise she ever made to him and she did it in full awareness of the consequences. If only she could take it back. If only she could go back in time and stop herself from making this huge mistake. But if she did do that, if she could, that would mean that she wouldn't have all the joy that Brooke brings to her life. She wouldn't feel the love she feels for her and she wouldn't know what it means to be loved by someone as amazing as Brooke Davis. This is why she's been so reluctant about telling Nathan. It would mean letting go of something that she's had for such a big part of her life. She knows Nathan loves her, he's always been there for her. They've been through so much together and have always come out of it even stronger. But that's not possible this time. There's no going back.

She'd be lying if she says she doesn't have doubts about her and Brooke. All they've ever done is sneak around and be secretive. What if, now that they're able to act like a normal couple, they fall apart? What if she's risked her own happiness and her family's for something that crashes once put in the spotlight? She just doesn't know what to do anymore. It's highly unlikely that she'll be able to fix things between her and Nathan, not after everything that's just been said. She's not even sure she wants to fix things with Nathan. After all, she does have feelings for Brooke. Strong, out-of-your-mind, desperate-for-closeness and felt-in-every-inch-of-your-body type love. When she's not with Brooke, she's all she thinks of. When she is with Brooke, she is so consumed with her presence that the world around them fades. She's never been so obsessed with Nathan. But what if that's all this is, an obsession? What if she only wants Brooke because she gives her something Nathan hasn't been able to give her? A few months ago, she could've been happy being with Nathan for the rest of her life. But now that she's tasted something else, something more intense and overpowering, she doubts he could ever be enough for her again. She should call Brooke, she's probably waiting anxiously for her to tell her what happened.

_Brooke_

Why hasn't she called? It's been two hours since she picked Jamie up from their house. Haley probably didn't wait very long after that until she told him. She could see it in her eyes, she needed to get this over with, before she lost her nerve completely. But what if she didn't go through with it? What if she realized, coming so close to losing Nathan, that he's really what she wants? What if everything that happened between them over the last few months had just been an eye opener for her to realize how much she still loves Nathan? No, that can't be true. She knows Haley loves her. Every time she looks into those beautiful brown eyes, she sees the love she has for her. She can feel it inside, they belong together. But everyone always thought Haley and Nathan belonged together. Is it possible to be compatible with two completely different types of people? I guess Haley's the only one who can answer that. She's the one trapped between two loves. She really needed to talk to her, she needed to know what happened between her and Nathan.

Suddenly her phone starts to ring. She knows it's Haley and takes a deep breath before answering.

"Hi." She says, all previous doubts pushed aside and complete focus on being supportive taking over. "How did it go?"

It was silent on the other end for a few seconds, and then Haley finally spoke.

"Not good. I told him everything, but it wasn't easy."

Brooke knew by the sound of her voice she'd been crying. She wanted nothing more than to go over to her house and hold her. But she couldn't just yet.

"What did he say?"

Haley continues in telling her how the conversation had gone. She mentions the kiss, the slap and the dishes being thrown against the wall. The need for her to hold Haley and comfort her was growing with every word. But at the same time, she felt sorry for Nathan. He really hadn't seen this coming, which made things even harder. His love for Haley hadn't wavered, but hers for him had changed completely. There was one thing she was desperate to ask however.

"How did you feel about it? Him kissing you?" Brooke asks hesitantly, unable to deny the hold Nathan still had over her.

"To be honest, I don't really know. I still care about him and it did feel right somehow. But I don't love him anymore. Not like I used to."

It wasn't exactly what she had hoped to hear, but at least she was honest with her feelings. Brooke could hear soft sobs coming through the phone and knew Haley was crying again.

"I'm so sorry Hales, I never wanted things to go down this way."

"It's all my fault. I never should've let things between us evolve this far. I should've told him from the start how I was feeling. If I'd just been more honest, maybe things wouldn't be so messed up right now."

"Don't say that Haley. You didn't tell him, because you didn't want to hurt him. You've been together for so long, it's not an easy thing to give up. Maybe we shouldn't have let things between us get so far, but you can't help who you love. Nathan's a good guy, he'll understand. He probably just felt cornered in that conversation since he didn't have any say in how it would end. Must be hard to feel like you have no control over losing something you expected to have for the rest of your life." While saying this she thinks to herself: _I couldn't bear the thought of losing her, and we've only been together for a few months. Must be hell what he's going through right now._ "Where is he now?"

"He said he was going to the River Court, to blow of some steam."

"I think you should go to him, make sure he knows it wasn't his fault. He needs to know you still want him in your life and that no one can take away what you have. I'm pretty sure he still loves you and wants you to be happy. Just tell him how important he is to you, to us."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I should go talk to him."

_Nathan_

After storming out of his house, Nathan went straight to the River Court. He had grabbed his basketball on the way, but when he got there, he didn't feel like playing at all. Basketball had helped him in the past when he needed to think and get past things that had happened. But this time, he didn't feel like it would help. He just couldn't help thinking how blind he's been. His wife had been sneaking around behind his back for months and he had barely noticed. He had thought that they were doing just fine, maybe not the best they've been, but still on course to spending a happy life together. But after what Haley had told him, he felt like he didn't know anything anymore. She hadn't just stopped loving him, but she had fallen in love with someone else. Someone had slowly taken his place in her life. He started looking back over the past few months, started searching for signs when things had changed between him and Haley. But nothing really jumped out. She had been spending a lot of time with Brooke, but at the time he just figured they were doing 'girl's stuff', not 'girlfriend stuff'. How could he have been so blind? How could he not have noticed his wife falling out of love for him? How did he not realize things were slowly ending between them? Tears started prickling in his eyes. He had never felt so lost in his life. So incapable. He had no hope left for a future with the woman he loved with all his heart. It was out of his hands, nothing he did or said now would change the outcome. His life as husband to Haley James was coming to an end. The moment he realized this, he knew he had to make a decision. Either he would remain in Haley's life, be the best father he could be and support the decisions his wife had made. Or he would fight against the decisions she had made, with the risk of losing her and possibly their son in the process. In truth, choosing between these two scenarios wasn't so hard. He just had to visit a certain someone.

_At Brooke's_

After feeding Chester and making sure he can't get out of his cage, Jamie goes down to the kitchen to find Brooke. When he finds her, he can see that something has upset her.

"Hey Auntie Brooke," He says, while flashing one of his cutest smiles. "Whatcha doing?"

"Hey buddy. I was just thinking about some grown up stuff. Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about." She answers, while ruffling her hands through his hair. "What do you wanna do, sweetie? We can go for a swim, or watch a movie, or something?" While saying it, she thinks to herself: _this might me the last fun thing we get to do together for a while, maybe forever ..._ She quickly pushes those thoughts aside, and focuses on the little sandy haired boy in front of her and makes it her mission to give him one of the best memories she can. "It's completely you choice tonight."

"Can we bake something? Something with chocolate?"

Of all the suggestions he could have made, that was definitely one that Brooke was very happy with.

"How about brownies?" She suggests, memories of the last time she had brownies coming back to her. This time, of course, she would leave out the special ingredient and replace it with tons of love instead.

Jamie was very fond of the idea, so Brooke started gathering all the ingredients. Lucky for them, they had all they needed so no shopping was necessary. Jamie was happy to be reading the instructions, while Brooke followed them. Twenty minutes later, their mixture was ready to be put in the oven for about 30 minutes.

"Hey Jamie Jam, want to taste some of the dough? It's really tasty."

"Sure!" He says, his voice filled with excitement. He goes over to the bowl and puts one of his fingers in it to taste some of the dough. He licks it with a lot of amusement and both Brooke and Jamie start laughing.

While Brooke and Jamie are having a good time licking every last bit of dough out of the mixing bowl, someone enters the house unnoticed. From an outsiders view, the scene in the kitchen would make anyone smile. It would make you want to forget all that's bad in the world and see only beauty. But there is bad in the world, and the beauty only last for so long. The viewer this time would smile on any other day, but today his mood is somewhat thorn when watching the interaction between his son and the woman his wife is leaving him for.

With a little cough, he announces his presence to both. Jamie turns around and jumps in his father's arms. Brooke on the other hand, stays silent and avoids looking into Nathan's eyes. She's sure that the sadness and anger she'll find in them will break her heart.

"Hi daddy!" Jamie says, excited to see his father and completely unaware of the tension that's surrounding them. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," Nathan starts, but comes up short in making up a story. He looks over to Brooke and catches her eyes for a few seconds. "I've come to talk to Brooke for a second."

"Jamie, why don't you go play outside for a bit? I'll call you when the brownies are ready." Says Brooke, who doesn't really know what Nathan is about to say but assumes that it's not meant for Jamie's ears at all.

Jamie nods and goes outside, confused but smart enough to know that it's grown up time. Nathan hands his ball over and closes the door behind him. Neither of them speaks at first. Both have tons they want to say, but neither knows the right words to say it. Eventually, the alarm breaks the silence. Brooke walks over to the oven, and sets the alarm for another 5 minutes. With her back turned, she finally gets the courage to speak.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, unsure of whether or not she wants to hear the answer, but convinced they should talk nonetheless.

"I came here to talk to you. Haley told me about …"

"About us?" Brooke finishes and turns around, feeling more ready to look him into the eyes. "Yeah, she told me. She called me after you left, she was really upset."

"How do you think I'm feeling?" The anger Nathan had felt right before he left his house was coming back up, but he knew he had to fight it if he wanted to have this conversation properly.

"Angry probably, but I prefer you don't start throwing my dishes around as well." The words left her mouth before she realized it, and she regretted it the moment after. She didn't want to fight with Nathan, she felt bad for what she had done to him and wanted them to be okay. But she wasn't in control of his feelings. He had come to her, so she suspected he had something to say.

"Don't worry, I won't be doing that. I know it was wrong of me to do that, and I left the moment I did it because I didn't want to scare Haley any more than I already had. I went to the River Court afterwards and I did some thinking and realized I needed to make a decision. But before I could, I knew I needed to talk to you first."

There was so much sincerity in his voice, it almost made Brooke cry. All this time, she knew he would be hurting the most when the truth came out. He really had become a strong and decent man, which was hard to believe if you knew who he was before he started dating Haley. She had feared that the old Nathan would resurface after finding out about her and Haley, but she knew now she should've given him more credit.

Since Brooke didn't speak, Nathan continued.

"I've known you for a long time Brooke. I knew you even before Haley did. And I know that I can trust you, I never would've agreed to have you be Jamie's godmother if I didn't. But what I'm entrusting you with now, goes beyond anything I've ever entrusted anyone with."

Nathan pauses for a few seconds to clear his thoughts and to form the words to what's coming next as best as he possibly can.

"Haley is the best thing that ever happened to me. She changed my life completely. I wasn't much of a man before she came into my life, but she's made me be the best I can be. I love her with all my heart and that will never change. I will always protect her and I will always commit myself into doing everything I possibly can to making her happy. And right now, … you are what makes her happy. I just need to know that you'll threat her right and that you'll love her the way she deserves to be loved. And I need you to know that if you hurt her in any way, I will be there for her and I will do anything in my power to protect her."

Brooke still doesn't speak. She's so thoroughly moved by what Nathan said, that tears have started to come down from her eyes. She walks over to Nathan and gives him a hug. Nathan, reluctant at first, returns the hug and smiles. Brooke slowly releases him and looks straight into his eyes, she no longer feared what she would see in them and she spoke up.

"Nathan, I promise you, I've never loved anyone as much as I love Haley. She really means the world to me. All through the course of our friendship, she kept surprising me. When things between us got more than friendly, she surprised me even more. I found out just how sexy and amazing she could be. There's no describing how she makes me feel. Every time she's around me, I feel these shivers go through my body. Every time I look into her eyes, she fills me with happiness. I know she has a similar effect on you and I honestly never wanted to take her away from you. But you need to know that we still want you in our lives. You're too important, to both of us."

"Absolutely."

Nathan and Brooke turn towards the door and find Haley standing there, apparently having heard at least part of the conversation she too has tears in her eyes. Haley walks over to them, she takes hold of Brooke's hand and gives it a little squeeze. She then turns to Nathan.

"I'm sorry about dropping the bomb on you like I did earlier. But like Brooke said, we still very much want you in our lives. I just hope you can forgive me, us." She looks into Brooke's eyes and they smile to each other. She then redirects her attention to Nathan. "And I hope we can try to work things out, together."

Nathan gives them both a hug and they happily return it since it's his sign of telling them they will work things out. They stand there in group hug for a while, until suddenly Jamie comes back inside and runs over to the oven. He then announces: "Auntie Brooke, I think you burnt the brownies"

* * *

So here it is, finally chapter 23!

Sorry again for taking so long, the chapter didn't come out very easily. I even rewrote several parts of it because it didn't feel right. I hope you like what it has become! As always I am happy to hear from anyone that has an opinion they like to share or any suggestions they might have on future chapters.

Until next time (hopefully soon!)

Lucy


	24. Release

Chapter 24: Release

Previously: When Haley finally pulled together the courage to explain to Nathan what was happening between her and Brooke, he of course freaked out. But thankfully Brooke went to talk to him and told him just how much she loves Haley and how she doesn't want to lose him as a friend. Nathan eventually realizes that it's better to accept the relationship that had formed between his wife and the godmother of their child, than to oppose it and risk losing his family all together.

With the benefit only a few days away, Haley was becoming more nervous by the minute. It had been a while since she performed in front of an audience and she wasn't sure that the confidence she usually got when she was on stage, would still be there. Brooke was being really supportive, she took some time off from running her company, apart from the personal project she had been working on, so that she could be there for Haley whenever she needed her. Haley had been going to the studio every morning this week, rehearsing some new songs. Brooke went by the studio every day at noon, so they could go out for lunch together. During lunch they didn't talk much about the benefit. They just chatted about whatever came to mind, feeling completely relaxed and happy in each other's company. Some people run out of things to say to each other when they are together so often, but for Brooke and Haley, that rule didn't apply.

When the break is over, Brooke walks Haley back to the studio and on their way over there she usually asks how the music is coming along, not being able to contain her curiosity. Mostly Haley just says that she's working hard and feeling something great is in the making, but she's just not there yet. On Friday however, Haley had a different answer prepared.

"Well honey, a couple of weeks ago I had an inspirational moment and I wrote down the outline for a new song. I've been working on it all week and I really wanted it to be perfect, that's why it took so long for me to finish it. This morning, somehow, I was in the perfect state of mind and I finally finished it."

"That's great Hales! I'm so proud of you." Brooke exclaims, feeling lucky to have such a talented rock star as her girlfriend. "What's the song about?"

"Well, it's about this beautiful girl that I've completely fallen in love with and that I can't seem to be apart from for very long." As she's saying this she stops walking, wanting to look the object of her affection straight in the eyes, while her eyes were already watering up. "It's about you and how you've managed to turn my life completely upside down. I've never felt this whole and so able to be myself, than when I'm with you. I love you so much!"

Brooke hadn't expected such a love declaration. They've told each other they love one another before, but the way she rephrased it just now, seemed to take things to a completely new level. The fact that she had written a song about their love meant so much to her, 'cause she knows how protective and sensitive she is about her music. Not really knowing how to respond, she chose to use action rather than words and enveloped Haley in a very heated kiss. For a moment, they had both forgotten that they were in a public place. It wasn't that they hid their feelings for each other when other people were around, but even a straight couple caught in such an intense kiss would get some nasty looks thrown their way.

Eventually they loosened their grip on one another and just looked in each other's eyes. There was no need for words, for everything they had wanted to say had been captured in that kiss. They walked on hand in hand, both wearing extremely big smiles on their faces. As they approached the studio, Brooke finally asked.

"Can I hear it?"

Haley didn't answer straight away, not because she didn't want to give the answer or because she didn't have it yet, but rather because she wanted to make sure that she phrased her answer just right, so that Brooke would know that she meant it.

"There's nothing I would like more than for you to hear that song and feel it the way you're supposed to, and the way I do. But before I let you listen, you need to promise me something." She paused for a second, seemingly building some courage to explain her feelings just right. "When I write and when I sing I lay bare my emotions more than I do while doing anything else. There's nothing that I put my heart and soul in more. So when you hear this song, I want you to realize just how much you've made it possible for me to feel something like that. I don't know how I didn't realize it sooner, but I know for a fact, with both my head and my heart, that you are my soulmate. And I know I couldn't bare another day where I couldn't tell you how much I love you."

Brooke was again very moved by Haley's words and tears had slowly started to fall from her eyes. How is it that she got so lucky? How is it possible that she managed to find this incredibly beautiful and talented woman? Not knowing the proper response to that besides the obvious 'I promise', she simply kissed her on the lips and promised to do exactly what she asked of her. They walked in together for what would definitely be a highly emotional afternoon.

On the other side of the road, a dark figure stood against the wall, observing the scene that had occurred just moments ago. His skills of maintaining a low profile had helped him in several other occasions and were definitely helping him now. Seeing the girls so happy and in love made him sick to his stomach. But he took comfort in the fact, were his plan to succeed, that he would get even more pleasure out of the hurt he would cause. He had been keeping an eye on the couple all week and his plan was near completion. He took a paper out of his pocket that appeared to be the flyer for the benefit the weekend after the next. He grinned as he saw the picture of Haley on it and said: "Payback is a bitch".

Meanwhile inside the studio Haley had just finished singing her song. Brooke had enjoyed every second of it. The song was a perfect representation of their relationship, Haley really had a way with words. She was obviously nervous though, so when the song was over Brooke started clapping and walked over to her.

"That was absolutely amazing. You … are absolutely amazing. I'm so grateful to have you as my soulmate, I seriously wouldn't know what to do without you. Everything about you is just …" She stopped to think about what the right word would be to describe Haley, but lacking in finding such she sticked to the one she had used before. "Amazing!" Haley walks over to Brooke, smiling broadly at her girlfriend's words and kisses her fully on the lips. As their lips part, Haley whispers: "Thanks for inspiring me. With someone so … amazing" They both grin at the use of that word once more. "in my life, it's easy to make something you can feel so good about."

Brooke thought it over for a moment and realized now was the perfect time to announce that she had a surprise on her own.

"Well, I completely agree. In fact, I've also been pretty inspired lately and I have a surprise for you."

Haley hadn't expected to hear that and was very much intrigued by this new revelation.

"A surprise? What kind of surprise?" She asks, her curiosity rising instantly.

"Well, how about you come by the store when you're done here, and I'll tell you. Maybe, if you're lucky, I'll even show you." Brooke always enjoys a good teasing, and can't help but take advantage of the moment. Haley, of course, has experienced this many times before and simply plays the game.

"Well, " She starts while she lets her hands roam all over Brooke's body, lingering in the right spots just a bit longer. "Maybe, if you keep that promise, you might get lucky later tonight."

As Haley continues working on her songs at the studio, Brooke is working on the dress she designed for the benefit next week. Hearing the words that Haley had written about her, had inspired her for the finishing touches on the dress. She wanted to make something that a rock star, a school teacher and a mother would wear. Mostly she just wanted to try to make something that would make people see Haley the way she did. As she continued working on the dress, her mind drifted off to a place where it had been going quite often the last few days. She couldn't help but think about another dress she'd like to make Haley, a wedding dress. It was way too soon in their relationship, she was well aware of that. They hadn't even told everyone about their relationship. Nathan and Haley's divorce wasn't even finalized. But every time she looked into those beautiful eyes, every time she pressed her lips against hers, every time she woke up next to her and caressed that incredible body, she grew more certain that she had found "the one".

Brooke has had plenty of difficulties when it came to love. She never had any difficulty in finding a guy interested, or even girls for that matter, but finding someone she really trusted and that loved her the way she loved them, that wasn't easy. It's never easy to find someone like that. There have been some occasions in which she found herself connecting with someone on a deeper level. But every time she got close, it was like something always got in the way. With Haley it was completely different. They've been friends for such a long time. They've helped each other through grieve. They've shared joy and happiness too, on several occasions. But the thing she treasured most, was the feeling she didn't have to hide. They could openly talk about everything, anything that came to mind. She had never felt like there was something she couldn't say to Haley, apart from how she felt about her. Maybe that's why she wasn't as scared when she thought about how serious they'd gotten in such a short amount of time. They already had the basics down.

Because she was so consumed in thought, she didn't hear the door open and close behind her. She stitched up the last button and took a step back to observe her masterpiece. She couldn't help but smile. The dress was exactly like she had pictured in her mind and she couldn't wait to see it on Haley. She had to be careful though, 'cause she was bound to look extremely hot in it, which might make her want to rip the clothes right of her, the moment she had them on. As she glanced at her watch, she suddenly realized how late it had gotten. She had expected Haley to be done by now, so she grabbed her phone to send a message, but she suddenly noticed a shadow near the door. She quickly turns around and her smile widens even more.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long, maybe ten minutes. I just couldn't help myself. You look so amazing when you're working, you truly glow, and it's quite mesmerizing."

"Now you know how I feel when I'm watching you perform. That dress really looks amazing!"

Brooke walks over to Haley, a smirk in place, but a touch of disappointment can also be found. She presses her lips against Haley's. The kiss is soft at first, but it becomes stronger and more passionate as it continues. They both feel the heath rising, but before they get too far gone, Brooke pulls away. Haley lets out a groan of disappointment and tries to pull Brooke closer, but her efforts meet only resistance.

"You know, you've kinda ruined the surprise. I had this whole plan with a blindfold and … other props, and now, I won't be able to carry out my plan."

"Really? You had a plan? With props?" Haley smirks and finds herself growing more and more curious about what her lover had planned for her. She almost regrets not announcing her arrival more clearly, but she just couldn't resist the cuteness that was displayed in front of her.

"That's right. It's a shame really."

"Yeah, that's too bad. Maybe though, we could find something else to do with those, uhm, props."

The flicker in Haley's eyes made a shiver go all the way up and down Brooke's spine. She loved it when Haley showed a bit of her naughty side. Brooke had forgotten all about the dress and now really wanted to go home to explore her other thoughts more thoroughly. Haley hadn't forgotten though and she came up with a plan on her own.

"Well, how about this? I go outside and come back in, this time making enough noise for you to hear me come in. You then collect your props and carry out the plan you had with them and then show me the beautiful dress you've designed."

While Brooke is very happy with Haley's idea, another plan had already formed inside her mind.

"How about instead you try on the dress right now, I take a few measurements where needed and then take you home where I'll take of the dress and find a new purpose for those props instead?"

Brooke didn't have to wait long to see which plan Haley preferred, as she started unbuttoning her shirt. The clothing designer stood back and enjoyed watching her girlfriend rapidly remove her clothes one by one, until she was left standing in her underwear. Brooke lost sight of what she was supposed to be doing for a long moment and only after Haley had coughed for the fifth time, did she realize that it was her turn to move. A bit embarrassed, she walks over to her dress, carefully removes it from the mannequin and walks over to Haley. She just smiles as she lets Brooke pull the dress over her head and then zip it up. The dress fits her perfectly and when Brooke walks back to observe her masterpiece, she is completely in awe. She's always been fairly confident about her own abilities, but she had never pictured she'd be able to make Haley, who was already so stunning to begin with, look so completely and utterly breathtaking. No words could describe what she thought of the beautiful woman standing in front of her, all she did was smile.

Haley felt very self-conscious, having Brooke look up at her the way she did. Brooke hadn't said anything, she just stood there, gawking at her like a crazy person. She seemed in trance, completely oblivious to the world around her. Even though she knew the thunderstruck expression on her face was one of appreciation, she still found it very overwhelming.

"Brooke? Earth to Brooke?"

Brooke comes back from her thoughts, not realizing how long she had stood there staring. Haley is grinning her way, not used to this kind of behavior from the gorgeous brunette.

"Sorry, I just … You look …" Still having trouble to find the words, she takes a deep breath and walks over to Haley. "You are absolutely breathtaking." She chuckled, realizing the irony of her words. "Literally."

Those words make a blush creep up to Haley's cheeks. The way she said it, would make anyone blush. The way she said it, like there's absolutely no denying it, you couldn't not believe it.

"Well I have you to thank for that." Haley answers, still smiling, finding keeping her composure somewhat easier, though struggling a bit still. "How about you get your things and we head home? I believe someone said something about getting lucky tonight."

Brooke, eager to make do on that promise, quickly grabs her things and follows Haley out. But before she reaches the door, she suddenly calls out to her.

"Haley, wait! You can't walk out of here in that dress! People might see, no one can see until the benefit!"

Haley turns around and faces Brooke. She know better than to argue 'cause when it comes to clothes, her fashionista is usually right, but she does mind the delay that it causes for their plans when they get home. Haley quickly goes to the room in the back with Brooke hot on her tail. Together they take of the dress, making sure it doesn't rip in their haste to remove it and Haley puts on her other clothes. As soon as she's dressed enough to be in public, they leave the store and head back to Brooke's house.

The moment they walk through the door, it's like they can't not be touching. Brooke takes the lead, as she so often does, and starts unbuttoning Haley's shirt. You can see the passion in her eyes, burning. They've longed for each other all week. Rehearsals had prevented them from being intimate, Haley was always very tired when she got home and claimed that she needed her rest for the next day. Brooke didn't protest, she knew the stress that came along with it and tried to make it as easy as possible for the both of them. But as the days went by, the desire to touch Haley grew stronger. It wasn't because she needed sex on a regular basis, of course she never had any problem putting out, but with Haley it was so much more than the physical. She longed for Haley's touch, her bare body lying on top of hers, her breath making her shiver from top to bottom. She didn't need sex, she needed Haley.

Haley gained more and more control. She led them towards the bedroom, overcome with desire that had built up over the week. Her kisses were brief and heated. Her hands roaming over Brooke's body, desperate to feel the skin. When they arrived at their bedroom, she pushed Brooke against the door. She removed the last pieces of clothing, this time not caring that it might rip, and they were both now in their underwear. Haley, trying to be smooth, lets her right hand travel down Brooke's body and over to the doorknob. She turns it, but Brooke who was unaware of her actions, falls back as the door opens. Haley lands on top of her and they both break down in laughs.

"What did you do that for? The bed isn't that much further."

Haley, still snickering, admits: "I was trying to be smooth, you know, like how they do it on TV. Turning the nob and slowly entering the room to fall on the bed just seconds later. Guess I didn't really think the whole landing part through."

"Guess not." Brooke smirks.

"You didn't hurt yourself did you?" Haley asks, remembering how hard the floor could be, definitely when falling so unexpectedly.

Brooke shook her head no and kissed Haley, who was still lying on top of her.

"I'm used to falling for you."

Their kisses continued, picking up where they had left off just moments before. Haley was still in control and soon their underwear too had parted from their bodies. She travelled down her queen of sexiness's body and made sure to cover every inch of it. Soon their sounds were filling the room, both enjoying the liberation they felt more than they had anticipated. It wasn't long before their climax came and they were both out of breath, lying beside each other on the cold, hard floor.

"Guess we never made to the bed after all." Haley grinned. She looked over at Brooke and saw the content look in her eyes. She couldn't help but think: could life get any better than this?

* * *

As promised, here's FINALLY the next chapter of my story. I'm really sorry for taking so long, I've had the better part of the story written for a long time but I never seemed to get around to finishing it.

The next chapter is already outlined in my head, so I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long.

As always, reviews are very much appreciated!

Until next time!

Lucy


	25. The Showdown Part 1

I made a few errors, which bothered me a bit too much so I corrected them. The new chapter will be up shortly.

* * *

_Previously: Their kisses continued, picking up where they had left off just moments before. Haley was still in control and soon their underwear too had parted from their bodies. She travelled down her queen of sexiness's body and made sure to cover every inch of it. Soon their sounds were filling the room, both enjoying the liberation they felt more than they had anticipated. It wasn't long before their climax came and they were both out of breath, lying beside each other on the cold, hard floor._

_"Guess we never made it to the bed after all." Haley grinned. She looked over at Brooke and saw the content look in her eyes. She couldn't help but think: could life get any better than this?_

Chapter 25: Showdown

The next morning they awoke curled up in each other's arms. Last night had been a true release for the both of them and Brooke felt like she hadn't slept this good in weeks. She looked over to Haley, whose eyes were still closed, with a peaceful expression on her face. As usual, she was completely overcome with her beauty. It amazed her how she was always so thrown by the extent of her beauty, even though she saw her every day. She really felt like the luckiest person on the planet, being able to wake up next to someone so special. She was like an angel, spreading joy all around and protecting her from the cruelty in the world. She remained in bed for a few more minutes, but after glancing at the clock she realized she'd better go make breakfast for her lady love. Breakfast in bed is always a good way to start the day.

As she starts on Haley's favourite breakfast, blueberry pancakes, she suddenly hears a buzzing behind her. In their rush to get to the bedroom last night, they had thrown their purses aside beside the couch, and were thus far unaware of the possible attempt of someone trying to reach them. She walks over to where the sound is coming from and picks up her phone. It said there were 3 missed calls and 1 message. She didn't recognized the number, but it seemed like someone was really trying to reach them so she quickly pressed play to listen to the message they had left.

"Hello Miss Davis. It's Chief Schwann from the Tree Hill police department. I'm calling in regard to the investigation. One of the men has been captured and during the interrogation, some new information has come to our attention. I'd appreciate you calling me back as soon as possible so that we can arrange a meeting in which we can inform you of the new developments."

Brooke stood frozen after listening to the message. She pressed repeat to make sure she had heard it correctly. Her heart was beating like crazy and her thoughts were running wild. Who did they capture? He said they had captured one of the men, does that mean that the other one is still at large? What information could they have that was so important for them to be in on? She glances over to the pancakes and then back to the cell phone. He said to call back as soon as possible, so Brooke goes out through the back and dials the chief's number. She closes the door behind her to make sure Haley doesn't wake and tries to prepare herself for what she might hear. After two rings, a voice on the other end answers.

"Chief Schwann."

"Hi, it's Brooke Davis. You called me about some new information?" Brooke was trying to keep her voice steady and not let fear trickle through, but she was barely able to keep her voice from shaking.

"Miss Davis, I'm glad you called. I was just about to come by your house to explain the situation."

"I'm sorry I didn't call any sooner, I uhm … misplaced my phone and only saw the message now."

"That's alright, I'm sure you weren't expecting this. Would it be possible for you to come by the station?"

"Of course, but can it wait 'till noon? My girlfriend has a very big thing happening today and I'd hate to ruin it for her." She paused for a second, dreading the answer to her next question. "Is there something to be worried about?"

"I won't go into detail right now, Miss Davis, but one of the men that held you captive, Terry Thomson, was captured last week. It seems his partner was headed this way and we'd like to make sure you and your friends remain out of harm's way. We'd like you to come to the station to look over some things and to arrange the proper protection."

"I'll come by at noon, if that's okay. Have you notified Clay or Quinn yet?"

"Noon will be just fine. No one else has been notified, as you requested, but protective measures have been put in motion. There's a car tailing them as we speak, there's one placed at their house as well as yours and at the Scott's residence."

"Okay, thank you very much for calling me and for keeping things quiet for now. They've all been through so much, I'd rather not fill them in unless there's no other way to keep them safe."

"Of course Miss Davis. See you at noon."

"Bye."

Brooke puts down her phone and sits for a second. She thinks back to the conversation she had with Chief Schwann just a few days after the event.

_While Haley was still in bed, Brooke had quickly and quietly left the house to pay a visit to the police station. After the horrible things they had gone through, she needed to be sure that nothing like that would happen again. She had called Chief Schwann that morning to meet with her because she wanted to ask him something. More determined than ever, she walks into the building and heads straight for chief Schwann's desk. She gently knocks and opens the door after a murmured "come in"._

"_Hello chief Schwann, thanks for agreeing to see me on such short notice."_

"_Not a problem." He answers with a soft smile. "It seemed rather important you speak with me as soon as possible. If there's anything I can help you with, never hesitate to ask. Please have a seat"_

_He points at the chair on the other side of the desk and Brooke slowly walks over to sit._

"_First off, I wanted to say how grateful I am. I hadn't thought any of us would make it through the rest of that day. I owe you both my life and the lives of the people I hold most dear, so thank you."_

"_No thanks necessary Miss Davis, I was only doing my job. I'm very happy we were able to get there in time." He answers, in true cop fashion, completely humble and honourable._

"_I'd also like to ask you for something. That day was truly awful, but it made me think about some of my priorities. Above all, I want my friends and family to be safe. Have you found any of the other men that were involved?"_

"_I'm afraid not, both John and Terry are still at large."_

"_Would it be possible to be updated on all things concerning the search for those men?"_

"_Of course, as soon as any solid leads are brought to our attention, I'll make sure to let you know. I can't go into detail, depending the on-going investigation, but I'll keep you in the know as much as possible."_

"_I would appreciate that very much. Now what I really came here to ask, is the following. I would like to keep Haley, Clay and Quinn out of the investigation as much as possible. Not to be keeping them in the dark, but rather to protect them from the stress and worry that will no doubt come with it. I know it might not be for a while before both of those men are behind bars, but until that day I'd like to keep them from reliving the pain as much as possible."_

"_I understand your concern, but I'm afraid your friends might not like not being in the know. They have the right to that information, as much as you do."_

"_I know that, and I'm not saying they shouldn't be at all aware of what's going on, but I would appreciate you calling me first and then deciding on whether or not they need to be informed."_

Luckily chief Schwann agreed on letting her know before anyone else. There hadn't been many calls, but he had called last week saying there was a lead on one of them and they were close to apprehending him. It hasn't always been easy keeping it from Haley, but she knew it was right to do things this way. She hated lying to Haley, she'd come close to filling her in one time when she picked up the phone instead of her, but she had come up with some excuse and asked the chief to call her on her cell instead from then on. She had explained the reason behind this and filled him in on the relationship that had started between her and Haley, but being the professional that he is, this didn't faze the chief much.

Brooke went back inside the house and continued working on the pancakes. Just 20 minutes ago, she had been feeling larger than life. Now however, she was trying really hard not to let it show that she felt anything but happy. She decided to focus on cooking breakfast and making sure Haley was feeling confident and ready for the big show tonight. As she was baking the first pancake, she heard some stirring from the bedroom. She guessed Haley must have smelt the food and was now slowly waking up from what was probably a very nice dream. She turned the pancake, grabbed a plate and the serving tray. It usually took at least 8 minutes before Haley got out of bed when she woke, so she could easily finish making the rest of the pancakes. She wanted to hurry a bit though, so she made the next pancakes a bit thicker so that the dough would be gone sooner. Just as she piled up the last one, she heard Haley call out her name.

"I'm coming," She quickly calls back. "don't leave the immediate bed-area."

Haley lets out a confusing "huh" and Brooke finds her sitting up as she enters their room. The look on the singer's face was exactly what Brooke had been looking forward to and the thoughts of the phone call drifted back just a little bit.

"Oh my God, Brooke …" Haley mumbles.

"Surprise! I've had the most perfect morning," She starts, which isn't really a lie, since it was perfect before the phone call. "and I wanted to do something special for the person that made it happen."

Haley smiles her most beautiful smile and looks up lovingly at her girlfriend. Brooke moves over to the bed and reclaims the spot she had leaved not too long ago.

"You are the best girlfriend anyone could have." She tells her, before leaning in to give her a kiss on the lips. Said girlfriend happily returns the kiss, until Haley's stomach starts growling and they both realize how hungry they really are. After coming home from the shop yesterday, they hadn't gotten around to eating supper, which meant neither of them had eaten anything since they went out to dinner at noon, the previous day.

"How long have you been up?" Haley asks, while cutting the first pancake.

"Not long, maybe half an hour. I didn't want to leave our cosy bed, but I figured a day like this deserved a special breakfast."

Haley smiles and puts another bite in her mouth. Eating pancakes always made her inner child come out. It made her feel like she could do anything and no matter what was going on, she'd end up feeling really happy. Funny how food could do that to someone. Brooke had known this for many years, ever since they both had shared an apartment. And there was nothing she loved more than making Haley happy.

Brooke puts her head on Haley's shoulder and closes her eyes. The thoughts of what the rest of the day would bring were lingering in the back of her mind. She didn't want to think about those things right now. All she wanted was to spend this moment feeling happy and in love.

"Open up." Said the smaller of the two. Brooke smiles and opened her mouth. In came a large piece of pancake which she thoroughly chewed, capturing the taste perfectly until she finally swallowed.

"Mmmm. I do love my cooking."

Haley chuckled. In response Brooke opened her eyes and eyed her girlfriend questioningly.

"What?" She asked, not realizing why that was so funny.

"You might have made these pancakes, but I'm the one that taught you how to make them."

The hairdresser was very much amused by that answer.

"Well, you are tutor girl." She responds, giving said tutor girl the urge to role her eyes.

_Meanwhile at Tric_

Chase was busy cleaning the bar when a man walked in the building. The music was playing rather loudly so he didn't notice the stranger approaching until he gently coughed.

"Excuse me." The man says in a British accent. "Is this where the benefit's at tonight? The one where Haley James Scott will be performing?"

Chase eyed him suspiciously but without a doubt answered him. "Yes it is. The show starts at 8. You a fan?"

"Oh certainly, I'm a big fan of Mrs Scott's work."

"Actually she's no longer going by that name. It's just Haley James now."

"Really? I didn't realize. Tell me, is there any way I could maybe get a backstage pass? I'd really like to meet her?"

"Actually, the backstage area will only be for performers and their family. But she's likely to be in the crowd after she performs. Maybe you'll get to meet her then."

"That would be lovely, but I'm not sure I'll be here long enough. I'm catching a plane back to the UK later this evening, so I'll be leaving right after she comes on."

"That's too bad." Chase, being a man that always tries to find a solution, gives another suggestion. "Haley's a pretty good friend of mine though, so maybe I could make an exception. How about you meet me at the bar at 8.30 and I'll see what I can do."

"That'd be great, thanks." The man says. He shakes Chase's hand and turns around. Chase goes back to cleaning but then realizes he forgot to ask something. He turns around while saying: "What's your name by the way?" but the man was gone. He shrugged and continued working. He needed this place looking sharp.

_Back at Brooke's_

The girls have finished their breakfast and are now doing the dishes. The atmosphere is peaceful and quiet, both just enjoying each other's company. Suddenly a thought comes to Haley's mind and she can't help but giving it sound.

"Nathan's probably going to be there tonight. He said he'd bring Jamie by, a few minutes before I go on stage."

Conversations about 'the Ex' were never easy, but so far things between Nathan and the girls had been fine. Sure he'd rather not be filing for divorce, but at least they were still in each other's lives. They hadn't gotten around to telling Jamie the whole story though, he'd been staying with his grandma the past week and a half. Nathan and Haley thought it be best to deal with things without him around, so he wouldn't overhear any of their conversations and be confused in the process. Today he was coming home though, so the dreaded conversation wouldn't be far ahead.

"That's great, Hales. I'm sure he's missed you."

They smile at each other. Brooke can't hold her question though, they had avoided the subject long enough.

"What are we going to tell him?"

Haley doesn't respond right away. She's been wondering the same thing for a while now and still hadn't figured out the best way to break the news to her son. He was a smart kid, playing pretence was definitely out of the question. Honesty would be the best policy in this case, she thought.

"I'm not exactly sure what to tell him yet, but I think it's best to just tell him about me and Nathan at first and wait to see how he copes with that before we tell him about us."

Brooke is silent for a while, before she can formulate a response, Haley continues.

"I'll tell him I'm staying with you, it's best to lie as little as possible. But I can't tell him about us yet, you understand right?" Having Brooke's silence continue is making Haley nervous. She knew this was a difficult topic, it was for the both of them, but if they wanted a life together, they'd have to talk about the difficult things as well.

"I understand." She finally says, wishing it could be different but knowing the decision rested with Haley in the end. "You think you'll talk to him tonight?"

"Maybe. If not today, than tomorrow for sure. It's best not to put it of any longer."

Brooke felt both anxious and relieved with that promise. She was afraid of how Jamie would take the news, but at least some of the pretend would be gone and Haley could come home to her at night, without having to be sneaky about it.

"Okay, enough with the heavy." Haley says, breaking the silence that had crept over them. "I need to get ready for my show tonight. I told Lucy I'd be at the club at noon, so I'd better start gathering my things." The shorter of the two went back into the bedroom to get her bag and started collecting all her necessities. After a few minutes she walked back out and put the bag next to the couch. She then walked over to Brooke and gave her an intense and passionate kiss. Afterwards their touch turned into a hug. As they held each other close, Haley whispered in Brooke's ear, making her tremble from top to bottom: "You know how much I love you right?" In response, Brooke held her even tighter and whispered back: "About as much as I love you." They break the hug and look each other into the eye. Both are smiling now and despite the heaviness of the previous conversation, they know things will be alright, as long as they stick together.

The rock star then walks over to her bag and starts fidgeting with the zipper.

"Have you got everything?" Brooke asks, eying her girlfriend from a short distance.

"I think so," She answers. "Except for the dress." She smiles at the thought of the beautiful gift her girlfriend had given her.

"How about I drop that off later, I need to make sure there aren't any needles left in it."

"Okay." She answers, while finally being able to close the zipper. She gives Brooke one last kiss, takes a deep breath, straightens her back and starts towards the door.

"Bye honey," Brooke calls after her. "I'll make sure to drop off the dress at 5 at the latest."

Haley waves back at her girlfriend and closes the door. For a second she wonders why it would take her so long to drop off the dress, but she figures she'd have her reasons and pushes the thoughts aside.

* * *

Hi everyone, sorry for taking so long, but things have been busy lately and inspiration hasn't been by very often. I had first planned on making this chapter longer, having the benefit in it already. But since that would take me longer to update, I decided to cut the chapter in half. The next part will be along shortly though, 10 at the latest.

So what did you guys think? What do you think of Brooke having secrets from Haley, making that deal? How do you think Jamie will take the news of his parents splitting up? Why is it so important that Brooke comes by the police station?

Reviews and thoughts on what's happened and what's to come are very welcome and appreciated, as always :).

Until next time, Lucy


	26. The Showdown Part 2

Chapter 26: The Showdown (part 2)

_Previously: The day of the benefit has arrived and Brooke wanted to make a special breakfast for Haley. She was side-tracked however by a call made by chief Schwann, regarding the men that had held them captive. She agreed to meet them at noon but won't be telling Haley unless there's no other choice. Jamie has been with his grandma the past week and will be coming home today. Both him and Nathan will be at the show tonight, which could lead to some awkward moments. A stranger dropped by Tric's claiming to be a big fan of Haley and Chase will try to arrange a meet-and-greet with the rock star._

_Brooke police station_

When Brooke arrives at the police station around noon, she's still busy, thinking of all the possible things that the chief might want to tell her. She keeps seeing Terry and John's faces and is completely terrified by the thought of being confronted by either one of them. She takes a deep breath and knocks on the door where it says 'Chief Schwann's office'. After getting the okay to come in she takes another breath and walks in, all business and ready to face whatever comes next.

"Hi Brooke," He says. "Thanks for coming. Why don't you have a seat and I'll tell you what's been happening."

Brooke quietly does as she is asked and sits down in the chair. Nerves still plaguing her underneath the brave mask she's wearing.

"So, what can you tell me?"

"Well, it's like this. When I phoned you last week to tell you we were closing in on one of them, Terry had contacted a former friend of his who in turn contacted us. They were partners a while back until Terry was arrested. They lost contact after that and Terry called him now because he needed his help for something he was planning. The guy in the meantime had walked away from crime and came to us. We then wired him so that we could hear what this big plan was. We got really lucky, in having an inside man. So anyway, we bugged him, overheard the entire conversation, let him leave the bar they met at and arrested him outside. There was no sign of John anywhere, but it's likely he was somewhere near. Terry blames John for what happened that day and he's been trying to prove to Terry that he's more than a low life thug. That's the reason why we're concerned about you and your friends safety, we're pretty sure that John came here, looking to finish what Terry had planned."

Brooke listens carefully to the chief's story and tries to understand what exactly went down. She's certainly happy that the leader has been caught and that the wanna-be is now the only one running around. She thinks back and remembers thinking that when John pointed the gun at her, she was scared but didn't see a killer in his eyes. But she also knows that a man who's trying to prove himself is very dangerous and might easily pull the trigger. She mainly hoped that she wouldn't have to find that out.

"So what's this plan that Terry talked about? Why did they go to that guy and what exactly was he planning on doing with us, since you obviously think they were headed this way?"

"Well, in their conversation, Terry asks his help because there aren't many people he can turn to anymore. Terry is a pretty big fish, he's been involved with drug dealing, people smuggling and all sorts of other big crimes. The guy he went to was someone he'd worked with in the beginning, back when he wasn't so dangerous, when the worst he had done was steal a car. Normally he wouldn't have gone to him, but many of his other contacts refused to meet with him, saying it's too dangerous with the police hot on his trail."

Brooke simply nods as he continues his story. She's surprised by how calm she is, hearing what this Terry guy has been up to. Especially the people smuggling part. She remembers all too well how Terry had said not to kill her since they'd pay double for her. At the time she wasn't sure what it meant and was mainly just happy the 'don't-kill-her' part, now she had a better idea of what they had meant by that but truthfully she didn't want to know that badly.

"You still with me?"

Brooke looks up. "Yeah, I'm still with you. Just trying to make sense of what you're saying and what was said when they euh ... you know." She pauses for a second, and when she notices the chief is looking at her she shakes her thoughts and says: "Go on."

"Right. I can imagine this is quite a lot to take in. Whatever they had planned with you then, was probably something big if it left them so hopeless and others so disappointed. That's why it's important for you to understand what I'm telling you know and realize how dangerous John is at the moment. Terry didn't tell our source everything about their plan, but he said enough to gather that you were his target. He had found out some stuff about Tree Hill and who you guys were exactly. We don't know who, but someone he met in prison knew enough for him to form his plan."

"So what exactly is this plan?" Brooke asks again, scared of the answer but fully aware of the importance of that information.

"We don't know the full extent of it. What we do know is that he came to our guy because he needed a weapon, clothes and a car. The outfit he was after was so he could disguise himself. Wigs and fake glasses and that sort of thing. He also mentioned that his partner, he didn't call him by name but we're convinced it's John, was good with accents. It seems to us that they were planning on coming here, pretending to be somebody you might trust and get in contact with you that way. This is why it's so important for you to know all this. We have no idea what John looks like at the moment and under what name he is, so the only way to keep you safe is if you keep us in the loop if you see someone suspicious. Chances are he found someone else to help him out, provide him with a gun and other stuff. So if you come across someone who seems out of place or is asking strange questions, anything alarming, we need to know about this."

"That's not gonna be easy." Brooke says, thinking of all the possible new people will be at the benefit that evening. "There's a benefit tonight, Haley's performing. She's a well known singer and there are a number of fans there, wanting to meet her. Anyone can pretend to be a fan."

"We are well aware of this and we ..."

Before he can continue, Brooke goes on. "So maybe we should cancel the benefit, it's too dangerous this way. If John knows about tonight, he's gonna wanna make his move. There's no way to tell what he looks like, it's way too dangerous."

"If you cancel the benefit, he's gonna get spooked. He'll back away and make his move some other time when we're not this well prepared. If we want to catch him, this is our best chance. We have to let him implement his plan and catch him at it."

"How are you going to catch him at it? You don't know what he looks like. That party is going to be filled with guests, it's going to be way too crowded to keep taps on everybody." Brooke is getting frustrated, she doesn't like the danger of it all and is very worried about their safety at the moment.

"There'll be policemen present, keeping an eye on things. There will be plenty of eyes around I can assure you. But what's really important and crucial if we want this to work out, is for John to be unaware of our presence. This, Brooke, is where you come in."

"What do you need for me to do?"

_At Tric's_

As chief Schwann explains the rest of the plan to Brooke, Haley is in a completely different mindset. Together with Lucy she's been welcoming some of the artists and getting everything done for the benefit. After 2 hours of none stop moving around, greeting people and moving tables, they finally get a moment to rest and are both sitting at the bar with a drink in hand.

"This place looks great Haley, I'm so glad you were able to help in organizing this." Lucy tells her, with obvious gratitude in her voice.

"No problem at all." Haley answers happily. "It's an amazing project and I'm really glad I could help. It's been a while since I've been on stage, but I've been really looking forward to tonight. It's great timing too, 'cause I've just recently finished a new song and I'm planning on trying it out tonight."

"Wow, that's great." Lucy answers, already keen on hearing the new song. "What's the song about, if I may ask?"

"Well, that's really simple, it's about love." Haley answers, while smiling her most beautiful smiling and her thoughts filled with Brooke.

By the look in Haley's eyes, Lucy can tell she's madly in love with someone. She didn't know her that well, but she remembered that when they met, her husband was there too. She also remembers wondering maybe she played on her team, well that's what Jules had thought anyway.

"Wow, your husband most be really something." She says, knowing it takes a special kind of person to make someone smile like that.

Haley pauses for a second, not sure how to respond. She doesn't hesitate for long though, word of her divorce with Nathan would be out soon and being that Lucy could definitely be a business partner and maybe even a good friend, she wanted nothing more than to tell her the truth. Plus, she was pretty sure Lucy had been hitting on her at the party, so at least she'd understand that part.

"Actually, to be honest, I'm no longer with my husband. We haven't told that many people, but we've filed for divorce."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Says the tall brunette, but after thinking it through she says in a confused manner. "But wait, I thought with you saying the song's about love and you smiling like you did when you said it, it was for sure about the person you're in love with, not someone you're divorcing. If I'm getting to personal, just stop me, I don't want to pry."

Haley smiles again. "You're right, it is about the person I'm in love with." Just as she's about to explain, she glances over at the door. "Speak of the devil." She walks over to the door where Brooke just walked through, holding her dress as promised. They great each other with a sweet kiss on the lips. Both women want to do a lot more than that, but since there were a lot of people around who might see, they thought it best not to draw to much attention to them. Haley wanted to though, being that she was right in the middle of telling someone just how much she's in love with Brooke. Brooke wanted it just as badly, maybe even more, but for different reasons, reasons that Haley didn't realize existed.

"Hi sweetie, nice to see you too." She tells her, happy to be able to hold Haley in her arms.

Haley just smiles and hugs her tighter, unaware of just how much the other brunette had longed to do just that for the past few hours. They walk over to where Lucy's standing.

"I was just telling Lucy about my new song and what it's about."

Quickly catching on from the look in her girlfriends eyes and the smile accompanied by it, she smiles back and looks over to where Lucy is standing.

"So you're the lucky girl huh, congrats." She tells them, sounding genuinely happy for the both of them.

"Thanks." Brooke answers. "I am indeed a lucky girl." She smiles to the person that makes her so happy and squeezes the hand she's holding.

Haley than turns to Lucy, still smiling. "Not that many people now at the moment though. So if you could keep this quiet, we don't want anyone to find out from someone other than us."

"Of course," The promoter answers. "I promise, my lips are sealed."

Knowing that their secret is safe and they've found a new confidant, makes both Haley and Brooke a bit more relaxed. But that relaxed atmosphere is soon interrupted when they hear an all too familiar voice.

"Hi there ladies."

Brooke and Haley quickly let go of each other's hands and they leave a bit more room in between the both of them, trying not to look like two people that want to be so close to each other. The motion doesn't go unnoticed by Lucy and she quickly forms a plan to prevent to girls from having to be so wary.

"Chris, just the man I was hoping to see." Says Lucy, with a fair amount of fake enthusiasm that goes completely unnoticed by said man.

"Chris Keller is at your service." He answers, just as smug as always. The words had just the effect Lucy was expecting.

"I'm was thinking of going over the set list one last time and making it final, since most of the artist are almost here. Maybe you could help deciding which performer should come after which."

"Chris Keller would be happy to help." He excitedly says, not realizing in was mostly a distraction what he was needed for.

Lucy and Chris go to sit at a table in the far end of the room, out of everybody's way. The girls just smile at them, grateful for not having to deal with Chris Keller for too long.

"Maybe we should get you into that dress, make sure it fits perfectly around that amazing body of yours." Brooke tells the rock star, sounding as raspy as ever and turning Haley on without much effort.

"Sounds good." She responds, feeling a little flushed and the need to be somewhere where she can express the emotions that are building inside of her, since she can't really do that while people might be watching.

They go backstage, to a separate room where they're sure to get some privacy. On the door are plates for Haley James and Mia Catalano. Since Mia wouldn't be there for at least another hour, it was a perfect place for them to be their selves, by themselves. The moment the door closes, Haley's all over Brooke, enjoying the fact that they're alone at last. They kiss passionately, greeting each other so overwhelmingly, like they hadn't seen each other in weeks. Before things go much further however, Brooke pulls away. A part of her doesn't want to stop, but she's feeling a bit thorn.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Haley asks, wondering what it could be that would make her lover pull away from her.

Haley is the most important person in this world for her, but right now, she can't even tell her what's on her mind. She feels guilty for keeping something from her, but she has no choice, not when so many things are at stake.

"Nothing's wrong." She tells her, making sure she sounds convincing enough. "I just don't think it's a good idea to get carried away right now, someone could walk in on us."

"I thought that idea would kind of turn you on." Haley says, knowing all too well that she's right in making that assumption.

Brooke smiles at that, no being able to deny the truth of that statement. "You're right, you're completely right." She says, with a smile. Then a thought comes in her mind, and she continues. "But the thought of Nathan and Jamie walking in on us, is just not that sexy at the moment."

Haley can't argue with that, so they agree on not letting things go too far. Given that Haley needs to be changing clothes, that's not the easiest thing to do. Haley slowly takes off her clothes, putting on a bit of a show, purely for Brooke's benefit. She just stands there smirking, enjoying every second. For the first time since noon, her thoughts aren't filled with every single thing that could go wrong that same evening, but completely focused on what's right in front of her. As Haley takes of her last piece of clothing, apart from her underwear, she walks over to Brooke and looks deep in her eyes.

"The way you look at me sometimes …" She whispers, before moving her lips to Brooke's. Brooke is powerless as she lets Haley take control. After a few minutes, the haze that had succumbed Brooke's resolve fades away and worries and fears return. She breaks of the kiss with a last soft touch of their lips and moves to where she had put the dress. Haley walks along and lets Brooke put the dress over her head. There's silence between the girls, everything they could say had been said by the kiss that had just ended. They were back to just enjoying each other's company, but as a rule, simple and beautiful moments like that don't tend to last.

There's a knock at the door, making both women jump. Both happy that they had in fact prevented things from going too far, they smile and both say: "Come on in."

The moment the door opens, Jamie comes running in towards Haley. Haley picks him up and spins him around. Haley's face completely lit up as she brings Jamie close for a hug.

"Ooh, I've missed you so much!" Says Haley, pulling him even closer. "How was your week at grandma's?"

"It was great," he says, as excited as ever. "Grandma took me to go see horses and we also went to the beach."

"That sounds great." Haley says, still hugging him close.

"You look great momma, is that a new dress?" He ask, cute as ever.

"Well, yes it is. You auntie Brooke made it for me, to wear on stage." She smiles at Brooke, who smiles just as eagerly back. She then realizes why Nathan and Jamie are there, and figures out an excuse to leave them to talk.

"Speaking of dresses, I still have to go get mine for tonight. I suppose I should better go do that." She walks over to Haley and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "You look great," She says and winks at her. She then high fives Jamie and smiles at Nathan, who's been standing at the door all this time. He smiles lightly back and nods as a thank you for giving them their space. Haley hadn't said for sure that she was going to have 'the talk' then and there, but either way, she felt it was best to let them have their family time.

As she's headed towards the exit, since she really does need to go home to get ready for the show, she runs into Chase.

"Hey," he says. "Is Haley in the back?"

"Yeah, she is." She answers. "But Jamie and Nathan are with her so you might not want to interrupt. You need her for something?"

"Aah, well there was this guy earlier, I didn't really catch his name, but he asked if it were possible to meet Haley since he's a pretty big fan. I told him I'd ask and meet him at the bar at 8.30. You think I could get them to meet?"

Brooke's mind immediately goes back to what the chief has told her. _It seems to us that they were planning on coming here, pretending to be somebody you might trust and get in contact with you that way._ This guy might be John or working with him.

"I don't know, maybe. What did he look like? What else did he say?" Asked Brooke, trying to make it seem natural and not like she was worried sick that this guy might be after them.

"Uhm, nothing special. Average built, dark blond hair, glasses. He had a British accent and said he was leaving later tonight so he wouldn't be able to wait 'till after the performance to meet Haley." Chase answers, curious as to why Brooke would want to know so much. "So, what should I tell him?"

Brooke's mind is working in overdrive. She needs to let the chief know so that the policemen that'll be present will know to look out for him. British accent and glasses were two of the things they thought he might use, but then again, there are plenty of British guys that wear glasses and are actual fans.

"I'll ask Haley when I get back and I'll let you know, okay? I've got to go now, there's something I need to take care of. See you later." She quickly says and heads towards the exit to prevent more questions from Chase. The moment she walks out the door, she dials the number for the chief to explain him the situation.

_In the meantime, backstage_

After Jamie finishes another story about his week with his grandma, Haley and Nathan tell him that they need to talk. While Jamie thinks it's good news at first, by the look on their faces, he sees that it might not be that good a news and his joy over telling him how good his week has been, quickly fades.

"What's going on?" He asks, "Why are you so serious all of a sudden?"

"Listen sweetie, your father and I have something important we have to say to you. We love each other very much. And we love you even more. But ..." She pauses for a second, dreading every word she's saying, but knowing that she has to go on. "We've decided to take some time apart from each other, so that we can figure out how to go on from here."

Jamie's expression goes from confused to scared. "What do you mean some time apart?"

"I uh … I'll be living with your auntie Brooke from now on." Haley tells him, inching closer to the truth but not going there completely. "We'll still see each other every day and spent lots of time together, but I just … I just won't be living at our house anymore."

"Are you getting a divorce?" Jamie asks, sadness making his voice tremble. He'd never thought his parents would split up and really doesn't understand why.

Nathan who had been silent, now raises his voice and tries to find the words to comfort his son. "Well Jamie, the chance of that happening are pretty real." The truth isn't easy, not for anyone, especially a 7 year old boy who's confronted with the thought of his parents separating. But it was the right thing to say. "But you have to know, this has nothing to do with you, okay. Your mom and I have been through a lot together and have found ourselves on a path different from where we had expected to end up. But we still love each other very much and will always be in each other's lives. We just won't be in it, the way we used to."

Haley and Nathan look at each other, grateful for having each other and being able to mean every single word. But they're worried about Jamie and what could be going through his mind right now.

There are so many questions going through his mind. He remembers one of the kids in his class whose parents recently got divorced. Tommy only got to spent one weekend a month with his dad and the rest of the time with his mom. He was okay with that though, because as his mom said 'his tramp of girlfriend' was always with him. Jamie couldn't quite formulate any of the questions that were going through his mind and felt like he needed to think on it some more.

"Can I go to aunt Quinn early?" He asks, looking up pleading, needing some time apart.

"Sure sweetie," Haley answers, "I'll call her and ask her to come pick you up."

They had planned for Jamie to stay at Quinn's that night, they would come by to see the show and go back to their place afterwards. Haley calls Quinn, who had been aware of the possibility of the conversation happening today and agreed to come get him right away.

"She'll be here in a few minutes and she'll meet you at the bar. You want me to wait with you?"

"No thanks, I'll wait with Chase, he's working behind the bar." He grabs his bag and heads towards the door.

"Jamie?" Haley says, making Jamie turn around. "You know we love you, right?"

Jamie nods and says "I love you too." He closes the door behind him and silently walks towards the bar.

Haley sits down on the couch and lowers her head in her hands. During their conversation, the tears had started to gather and now she was finally able to let them flow. Nathan walks over to her and puts an arm around her shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay." He tells her. "He's upset and confused right now, but he'll come around."

Haley puts her head on his shoulder and allows him to comfort her. "I hope you're right." She whispers and closes her eyes to try to keep more tears from falling. "I'm so sorry Nathan, I really didn't want this to happen."

"Sshh," Nathan goes. "You don't have to apologize, these things happen, it's not anybody's fault."

Hearing Nathan say these things, reminds Haley of the great man he can be and the reason why she fell in love with him in the first place. Even though she doesn't feel the same for him now, she feels really happy to have him here with her and relieved to have his support through all of this.

_Later that night_

With only a half an hour left before the show starts, Tric was crawling with people. After a short introductory from Lucy, Haley would be the first to perform tonight. She was just done putting on her make up when there was a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" She asks, hoping that one person in particular would be standing on the other side of the door.

"It's Brooke."

Haley quickly goes to the door and falls into her arms. They stand there for a while, until Brooke slowly pushes them back so that she's able to close the door.

"I take it you had that conversation?"

"Yeah." Haley HAHahhhhhhhhh hhHanswers.

"How did he take it?" Brooke asks, since Haley wasn't telling by herself. Haley remains quiet and Brooke lifts up her chin so she can look her straight in the eyes. Her eyes are filled with tears and she knows if she presses the matter, she would surely break down in tears. Brooke pulls her closer and softly strokes her hair. She takes the silence as a sign that she's not ready to talk about it and choses to go with that scenario.

"Sweetie, it's okay. We'll talk about it when you're ready, yeah? Right now, we should probably get you ready for your performance. You're on in 25 minutes so there's not a lot of time left.

Haley nods her head and takes a seat in front of her make up mirror. She was wearing waterproof, so her make-up is still intact. She reaches for the brush, but Brooke beats her to it. Softly she combs her hair with it and she can feel Haley relaxing under her touch.

"Chase said a guy came to him earlier. He asked if he could meet you after you sing. He's British and leaves later tonight so he wouldn't be able to stay 'till after the show. You think you might be up to meeting him?" Brooke asks, knowing that she needs to make sure she agrees to this.

"Yeah sure, that's fine. What's his name?" She answers, happy with the distraction the conversation is providing her with.

"Chase didn't actually catch his name, but he'll be at the bar at 8.30, so I'll wait for him and bring him around, is that okay?"

Haley nods her head, which Brooke can see through her reflection in the mirror. Haley leans her head back so she can see Brooke's face directly. "Thanks for being here. I really need you right now."

"Of course, sweetie. I'll always be there for you."

Haley smiles, takes one last look in the mirror and then gets up.

"You know, we've still got about 20 minutes. Maybe we should fool around a bit first and I'll do my hair and make-up properly afterwards." Haley suggests, feeling the need to feel a bit better about herself and knowing that her beautiful girlfriend can do just that.

Brooke takes hold of Haley's hands and they walk over to the couch. Just as they're about to go in for a kiss, there's a knock on the door.

"Saved by the bell." Brooke mumbles and she walks over to the door.

"Chase, hey, watcha doing here?" She asks happily, and then notices that guy that's with them, making her feel a lot less cheerful.

"This is Tony, the guy I told you about. He thought I'd said 8 so since you hadn't said if it was okay or not I thought I'd come ask myself."

Brooke, lost in thought, just stood there quiet for a second. This was not the way it was supposed to happen, but she had to let something happen.

Haley, wondering what was going on, went to the door as well. When she appears, the guy comes at her straight away, reaching for his hand.

"Miss Haley James, how lovely it is to meet you. You're even prettier than I had thought. Would it be possible to talk to you for a moment? I promise I won't take too much of your time."

Haley is a bit confused, she looks over to Brooke who gently nods and decides she couldn't see the harm in meeting a fan from abroad.

"Sure, come on in." She tells him, smiling at him politely.

Brooke doesn't feel comfortable with leaving Haley alone with him so she follows them back inside after smiling at Chase and mouthing 'thank you'. The moment the door is closed, she takes out her cell phone and sends a text to the chief, letting him know that he's in the room with them, while doing so, making sure that Tony's back is turned and he doesn't suspect anything. Tony is right in the middle of telling Haley about his daughter and how big a fan she is when there's another knock on the door. Brooke hurries to open it and in come 3 police officers. They walk straight towards Tony, who might be John and ask him to come with. He doesn't say much and just appears shocked, just like Haley who obviously doesn't understand what's going on. Without much fuss or explanation, two of the men leave with Tony by their side. The third walks over to Brooke.

"We'll keep you posted on what we learn from him. If anything else seems strange or alarming, just let us know. Two of our officers are still in place."

Brooke nods and closes the door behind him. As far as she can tell, nobody is aware of what has just happened. She turns over to Haley, who's still in complete awe of what just happened. She looks over to Brooke, who clearly has a better idea of what's going on.

"What was that?" She asks, with just a touch of accusation in her voice. "Why was the police here and why did they arrest that man?"

"They didn't arrest him, they brought him in for questioning. Look, I'll explain everything, but I think it's best if you sit down."

Haley just stares at Brooke, confused about all of this. Something was definitely going on, and from the looks of things Brooke had been keeping this hidden from her for a while. Why would she do this? Haley walks over to the couch, with Brooke in tow. They sit beside each other and Brooke starts explaining.

"I've been keeping taps on the investigation on the men that held us captive. Chief Schwann's been ringing me with every information he's at liberty to share. Last week, Terry, the guy that was the leader, was arrested. They found out about their plans of coming this way and seeking revenge out on us. John wasn't arrested and they had reason to believe he was going to get the job done by himself or maybe with a new partner. I was at the police station this afternoon, where the chief told me all of this. He said to let him know about anyone suspicious coming by, wanting close contact. When Chase told me about this guy, I told the cops and they were ready to come get him as soon as I gave them a sign that he was here."

Haley is stunned by the explanation her girlfriend is giving her. There was this whole thing happening and she was the only one who knew. While it frustrated her immensely that she herself wasn't in the know, she also felt sad knowing that Brooke had had to keep it all for herself. It amazed her just how strong she could be.

"So they think that guy was working with John? That's why they took him? I mean, he really could have been a fan."

"Yeah, I know. But they had to do this for our safety. They'll interrogate him and if he doesn't have anything to do with this they'll probably explain what they can and let him go. They've got this all worked out, I promise. We just have to stick to the plan."

"What plan?" Haley asks.

Before Brooke can explain further, there's another knock at the door. Brooke looks up thoughtful but it's Haley who goes to open the door. "Hold that thought, that's probably someone to tell me I'm on in 5. I'll get it."

However, neither girls realize the danger that's standing on the other end of the door. Neither one expects someone else untrustworthy to show up so soon, but they were deadly mistaken.

"Hello Haley, so nice to see you again."

Haley stands face to face with the man who's face she's been trying so hard to get out of her head. He shows her the gun he's holding and puts one of his fingers to his lips. He walks through the door and closes it behind him. Haley inches away from him, 'till her back hits the wall. She looks over to Brooke but she was busy with her phone. Brooke hadn't realized who was at the door since she was distracted by a text message from the chief, saying: 'Heads up. He's still around'. Just as she's about to get up and warn Haley, a shadow falls over her. She looks up and looks straight at the man who has hunted her worst nightmares. Her eyes go big with fear as she's desperate to get up and run over to Haley. But John pushes her back in the couch, cocks his gun and points it directly at her. Her mind goes back to the first time she was in this exact situation and is scared to look him in the eyes, afraid of what she might see him be capable of.

"Haley, could you come over here please?" He ask, sounding very warm and friendly, which only makes it more scary. He turns and sees her glance at the door to which she's close enough to, to escape without being stopped. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, unless you want to say your girlfriend goodbye." He smirks at her, knowing all too well, she wouldn't do that.

"What do you want?" Says Brooke, finally getting the courage to say something. Haley moves towards them and sits down next to Brooke. Their hands immediately find each other, seeking the comfort and courage they both need right now.

"You two are going to help me break Terry out of jail."

* * *

So here it finally is, the second part. I know I had said it'd be up sooner, but as you can see it's pretty lengthy and I just haven't been able to finish until now.

Please let me know what you think! I'm always eager to here my readers thoughts. I hope I've managed to clear up some things where there was confusion about before. This is my first time writing, so there might be some inconsistencies here and there. But bare with me, 'cause I'm really trying to make it all work.

I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible, no promises on when though cause exams are happening and writing time is pretty limited ...

Until next time! Lucy


	27. The Showdown Part 3

_Previously on Special Brownies_

_Brooke was asked to come to the station by Chief Schwann. He informed her that they've arrested Terry, the leader of the men that had held them captive. John however, the less competent one, is still at large and most likely headed their way. He tells her to look out for anyone suspicious and report back to him. He's got a plan to catch him, but he needs Brooke's help to do this and together they work on finding a way to put John behind bars once and for all. Meanwhile Haley has no idea about where her girlfriend's at and what dangers the day could bring. Instead she's getting ready for the benefit at Tric while talking with Lucy, whose becoming more and more of a friend. She even confides the state of her relationship with Brooke to her. When Jamie and Nathan come by later, Haley and Nathan told their son that they'll be separating and that Haley will be living with Brooke from now on. Jamie doesn't say much to the revelation and goes to Quinn early, needing some space to process what he's just been told. When a fan comes by, wanting to meet Haley, Brooke lets the police know and they come in to take him in for questioning. Because of this, Brooke now has to fill Haley in on what's been happening. While she's explaining, someone else is at the door. Thinking it's someone from the benefit, Haley goes to open the door, only to find herself staring straight at the man that had haunted her dreams for so long. He pulls out his gun, gets the two of them to sit and says he wants them to help him break Terry out of jail …_

_Chapter 27: The Showdown (Part 3)  
_

As Lucy gets to the stage, she's getting a bit nervous about all the people in the room. Memories of having to stand in front of a classroom back in high school, still make her anxious as hell. But this wasn't high school, this was life after high school and so much more important so she gathered her courage and walked up to the mike.

"Hello Tree Hill!" She says to the room, getting everyone's attention. They all turn to the stage and cheer and clap. "My name is Lucy, I'll be your host this evening and I am proud to present our project 'Music 4 kids'. We are here today to raise money for kids all around the US who have the talent to become amazing musicians but don't have the means for a musical education and decent instruments. I'm really grateful to see you all here, this project means a lot to me and to many of the performers here tonight." A round of applause start, making Lucy smile even wider and noting that all those nerves were completely unnecessary. "We have many talents here tonight, and one of them is a local rock star. I'm sure you're all excited to see her on stage after so long, so without further ado, here's the beautiful and extraordinary 'Haley James'."

The entire crowd starts whistling and yelling, excited to see Haley perform. But when Lucy looks to the side, Haley doesn't seem to be there. She glances over to find the stage manager that was supposed to call her when she was close to coming on stage, but couldn't find him either. Just as she's starting to panic and franticly trying to come up with something to tell the crowd, Haley appears from backstage. She pauses at the edge, where the room couldn't see her, takes a deep breath, puts on a smile and walks towards the mike. Extremely happy to see Haley walk towards her, Lucy passes her by as she goes backstage. They exchange a high five and Haley starts to sing.

_Backstage_

"She does have a beautiful voice." John says, smiling at Brooke.

Brooke's sitting on a chair, her hands tied on her back. She fires an angry look towards John, wishing she had the power to somehow overpower him. Instead she was stuck. She didn't have a clue how to get out of this situation. And even if she did, she couldn't risk it. John had made it clear not to try anything since there was a man keeping an eye on Haley, while he was very much capable of bluffing, she couldn't and wouldn't take that chance. As she thought about Haley, she hoped to God she would be able to perform. She hated this, everything about this. She felt like it was her fault, she could've handled it differently. Maybe she should've filled Haley in sooner, than they could've taken precautions that would've prevented things to come to the situation they were in right now. Tears started to fill her eyes, she felt so lost and hopeless. She knew she had to stay strong. She needed to protect Haley in any way possible. But right now, she didn't have a clue how to live up to that.

As she heard her girlfriend start the final verse of "Feel This", she got even more nervous. How long would it be until they noticed something was wrong? If Haley hadn't gone on stage, the police in the room would've taken action immediately. But John had had it all figured out. Haley was to perform if she wanted Brooke to be unharmed. She could sing one song, make sure nobody noticed anything was wrong and then come straight back here. Haley would do what he asked, just as she would if it was her wellbeing that was at stake.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked with a shattered voice. "What could you possibly gain from doing this?"

John took a seat in front of her and looked her straight in the eye. He smiled at her, feeling powerful and very much aware of the fear that was reflected in her eyes.

"All will become clear as we go along, don't you worry. For now, all you and your rock star girlfriend need to know, is that as long as you cooperate, you'll most likely get out of this alive."

Brooke kept looking in his eyes, trying not to appear as terrified as she actually felt. They had beat him once, when he had two of his friends with him. It was just him right now, so she had better odds. But something told her that he was going to be a lot more of a hassle to overcome then he had been during their first encounter.

"You'll never get away with this. The police are on to you, they know you're here and they'll figure out soon enough where you are. When they do, I'm gonna be really happy when they put your ass in jail." She felt her anger take more and more control of her. It gave her a new set of strength, and she knew she could figure out something to keep things from escalating further. She then remembers all the things her and Chief Schwann had discussed when forming their plan. He had given her a device that she was to push if she was in danger. At the moment it was out of reach. But she was Brooke Davis, owner of a multimillion dollar company, she had fought of Derek together with Peyton, she had found the strength to tell Haley how she really felt, she had escaped from a group of men in the middle of nowhere and she sure as hell was gonna find a way out now. A plan had already started to form in her mind, now she just needed Haley by her side so that she could put it to action.

"It doesn't matter that the cops know I'm here, I'm fully aware of that, trust me. I think it might actually work in my favor."

This statement threw Brooke a bit, but she didn't show it. A new sense of purpose and believe came over her. She knew she could do this, she just had to bring back some of her high school persona and kick some ass.

_Meanwhile_

As Haley left the stage after a round of applause, she could feel a sense of relieve wash over her. It didn't last long before the feeling of dread came back though. She didn't know what she was feeling. All these people were around her, all more than willing to help it she asked, she was sure. But she didn't talk to any of them. She couldn't risk John finding out. If he knew, he would hurt Brooke and that was something she wouldn't be able to handle. So she made her way to her room quickly, making sure she kept herself together 'till she reached her destination. But just before she reached her door, Mia walked up to her.

"Hey Haley, that was a great performance." She said and smiled at the smaller brunette.

"Thanks," She answers, trying to sound as natural as possible. "If felt good to be on stage again."

"Well, they loved you out there, sounds like they missed you too."

Haley just nodded and glanced to the door. She needed to act natural, but she also needed to get in there. Every second she was away from Brooke, she felt herself breaking more and more. She wouldn't be able to keep up the charade for much longer.

Mia seemed to notice something was wrong, she noticed how sad her eyes were and how they kept glancing towards the door. She looked at her suspiciously.

"Is everything okay, Haley? You seem a bit out of it?"

"I'm fine." She answers, perhaps a bit too quickly. She then decided she needed to handle this sooner rather than later and she suddenly realized that she was supposed to be sharing her room with the other rock star.

"I'm just a bit tired actually. Things at home have been a bit stressful, this entire week has been kind of intense. I guess I'm just not that used to it anymore."

Mia nodded, not knowing the full story but enough to know that she must have had an intense couple of days.

"Would it be okay if you changed in one of the other rooms? I think number 4 is still free. I'd just really like to relax a bit. I know you were supposed to share the room with me but …"

"Haley, it's fine." She interrupted. "I'll give you some privacy, you really look tired. We'll talk later, okay. You want me to get Nathan … or Brooke?"

"No, that's all right, Brooke said she'd wait for me here, so …" She wasn't sure she should mention it, but it was probably best that they knew they were together.

"Okay, well, I'll see you later." She said while giving her a little wave and took her stuff towards the other room. The room was around the corner, but all the rooms were made soundproof, so there was no way for her to hear anything. She went to the door and raised her hand to knock. Before her knuckles had touched the door however, John had already opened it.

"Hi there Haley, come on in." He was still wearing his creepy smile. He sure seemed like he was enjoying himself.

Haley walked in and saw Brooke, with her hands tied on her back and both her feet tied together as well. She hadn't been in that position when she had left to perform, so what she saw came as a bit of a shock. Tears began to fill her eyes and the brave face she had put on for the last half hour came tumbling down. She was frozen on the spot and kept looking in Brooke's eyes. What she saw, was confusing. She still saw the fear that had been there when John first entered the room, but she saw something else as well. Could it be hope? Or was it just that she was happy she was back? She heard the door close behind her, but still couldn't seem to move.

"Why don't you take a seat next to your girlfriend?"

Haley seemed to leave her trance when she heard him talk. She turned her face towards him and immediately stepped back when she saw the gun was still in his hand. Guns had already destroyed so many people in her life. Having it pointed at her once more, made her feel so extremely scared. They say when you're being robbed and the mugger is holding a gun, your focus goes straight to that weapon. This often makes it more difficult to identify the perpetrator, because the victims had a much better look at the weapon they were holding, than the face or the built of the man holding it. But they wouldn't have that problem. She knew his face so well already.

She lifted her hands a bit, hanging them half way up in surrender. She reluctantly turned her back to their captor and walked towards Brooke. She saw her mouth "It's gonna be okay" and smile lightly at her. This had Haley wondering what could give her girlfriend the confidence in thinking that they stood a fair chance of getting out of their situation. But then again, her girlfriend was Brooke Davis and she had proven often enough that she could make just about anything possible.

Once Haley was seated, John took her hands and tied them together. In doing so, he pulled quite hard and Haley groaned in pain. The sound made Brooke fight against her robes frantically, she almost managed to get out of the chair but the ties around her feet prevented her from doing so.

"Don't you dare hurt her, son of a bitch! She did what you asked, she …"

Before she could go on in defending the love of her life, John had stepped in front of her and slapped her hard across the face, sitting her down immediately by the power behind the slap. Haley gasped as she saw Brooke take the blow, a hand shaped red mark quickly appearing on her cheek. She wanted to scream and protest just as she had done for her, but thought better of it. That would obviously not help at all.

"You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do."

Brooke found his reaction strange, a bit childish even. It revealed a bit of the mask he had on. The thought occurred to Brooke that he might be doing this to proof something. Before she could further analyze his reaction, John's phone rang and she focused her attention on finding out what it was about. She could only overhear his side of the conversation though, so she was mostly left guessing.

"Hey, I trust everything went OK?" He stated the moment he answered his phone.

Brooke tried her best, but she couldn't understand a thing the person on the other end was saying.

"If they're there, you won't see 'em, but that's not important at the moment. Did you do what I asked?"

She could now assume that whoever he was talking to, was someone who was in on the plan.

"They're fine. A little shaken, but that's how I like it. Be ready in ten."

Brooke was convinced he was talking about Haley and her and that made her feel very vulnerable. He closed his phone and seemed to be gathering his things. It looked like it was time for them to move to somewhere else. She had seen enough cop shows to realize that the chances of being found grew slimmer once you're moved to another location. But she couldn't think of anything that would keep them there. Part of her was relieved they were moving. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if someone came by, like Chase, or Nathan, or Jamie …

John grabbed something from his bag and walked over to the girls. He smiled his most evil smile and showed them the duck-tape. Both girls immediately figured what was gonna happen next. Haley tried to scream, feeling desperate and incredibly scared. But John had seen it coming and quickly put a piece of the tape across her mouth, silencing her instantly. Brooke's mouth was soon covered with the tape as well and John moved to their feet. He untied them both so that they could walk, their hands still stayed on their back and he pulled them from the chairs and towards the door. He took a peak around in the hallway and quickly pushed them towards the nearest exit. How he knew that there was a door just around the corner for artists that couldn't enter through the front, was unknown to the girls. They knew he was a lot more prepared than they had anticipated. They had already realized that the hard way.

He put them both in the trunk, lying face to face. They heard him talk to someone outside, but they couldn't make much of the conversation. Soon they heard the engine start and they were headed to some unknown destination. Meanwhile, both girls tried to loosen their robes and get rid of the obstruction on their mouths. After a lot of tugging, Haley finally managed to have a corner of her tape lifted and was able to talk more understandable. There wasn't room enough for them to turn around, so they couldn't use their hands. Haley had managed to free her mouth by rubbing it against the ground and making the tape stick to the surface. Brooke still hadn't managed to loosen hers and was starting to get really frustrating.

"Hey." Haley said. "Keep still okay, I'm gonna try something."

Brooke did as she was told and stopped moving. Haley moved her face closer to Brooke's. It was as if she was leaning in for a kiss, and Brooke felt butterflies in her stomach flutter. Haley tried to get rid of the tape by using her teeth. She too felt the heath rise in her body. After a few failed attempts, she finally managed to free the tape far enough so that Brooke could breath and speak easily. She didn't say anything though, she just looked Haley straight in the eyes and leaned in. Their kiss was desperate and passionate. They both felt incredibly annoyed by the fact that they couldn't touch each other. They got lost in the kiss just the same. Time passed by without them realizing it. They were too lost in each other to notice anything around them.

The car had started to slow down and the engine had stopped. Unaware that anything had changed, they kept their lips together. Their tongues were still fighting for dominance, wanting to comfort the other at best they could in the situation they were in. When they noticed light coming from above them, they broke apart, finally realizing that they had reached the destination.

"Mmm mm." They heard John mumble. "Yeah, that's so freakin' hot."

They both just stared at him, blushing furiously. They didn't know what to say or do. Haley felt like such a fool, knowing full well that they had gotten too caught up in each other to realize that they had been on the road long enough to reach a destination. They could've used the time they had been kissing to talk to each other and maybe figure out how they would free themselves from the desperate situation they were in. Brooke felt quite silly as well, but she also realized that this might work in favor of the plan she had come up with. She just hoped she'd be able to fill in Haley, since without her knowledge, she had less chance of succeeding.

John seemed to get his mind out of the gutter and realized that he should be moving the girls inside, out of sight. She grabbed Haley, who was nearest to him and managed to pick her up and put her over her shoulder. He put her down, grabbed his gun and pointed it at her again.

"Sit down." He yelled at her. Seemingly angry for not taking charge immediately. Haley bend her knees and unsteadily reached the floor. She wasn't seated in the most comfortable position, but soon enough she'd be up again.

John then did the same to Brooke, lifting her out of the trunk and putting her down beside the car. He kept one eye on them while he closed the trunk and locked the car. He kept the gun pointed at them at all time and much to his relieve, neither one of them moved. He then walked over to where Haley had sat down. As he approached, she moved a bit further away. He crunched down a bit before her and lifted her over her shoulder once more. She protested and yelled. "No, don't touch me!" but it didn't make a difference. He almost dropped his gun when he rose up with her, but the girls were wise enough not to react to it. They had no way of using the gun, so any effort in trying so would only piss him off.

"Move." He then yelled at Brooke, giving her a push in the back with his free hand. Haley struggled a bit on his shoulder, but his grip was tight and there was no way for her to hurt him or get loose. Brooke started towards the door, not wanting to cause any more anger. As she was walking, she took a good look around, trying to find something familiar, something that could tip her of for their whereabouts. But she couldn't find anything she recognized. It was hard to tell how far away from Tric they had gotten, since they hadn't been paying much attention to the amount of time that passed while they were in the car.

It was dark outside, no one in sight. There weren't a lot of houses around, just a few but they seemed as abandoned as the one they were headed in. Once inside, he pushed Brooke towards a door on the right. He told her to get in, so she slowly opened the door and walked in. John entered the room as well and put Haley down without much care, which left her stumbling to the ground. Brooke could hear her struggling, but she couldn't see anything. There was no light anywhere, so she had no idea how big the room was or where Haley or John were standing.

"All right girls, this is where you'll be staying for now. I suggest you get some rest and I'll be back in the morning."

He turned to leave and had almost closed the door. But he turned around and addressed the girls again. He was trying hard to sound intimidating but his efforts weren't as believable as he had liked them to be.

"And no funny business you two, unless you want it caught on camera."

He let out a bulky laugh and walked out into the hallway. He closed the door behind him and Brooke could hear the lock turning. As soon as he was gone, Brooke started looking for Haley.

"Haley? Where are you? Are you okay?" She asked, close to panic, hoping he hadn't thrown her down to roughly.

"I'm okay." She answers softly. "I'm having trouble standing up though."

"Hold on. I'm coming. Just keep talking, that way I'll find you faster."

"Okay." Haley answers. She doesn't immediately know what to talk about though, so she says the first thing that comes to mind. "Why didn't you tell me you were talking to the police? How could you keep that from me?"

"Hales, I don't think we should be talking about that right now. What if he's listening to us? He doesn't need to know all that." Brooke had started walking towards where Haley was sitting. She couldn't be far, 'cause she hadn't gone too far inside the room. She suddenly felt something beside her feet. "Is that you?" She asks.

"Yeah, that was your foot right?"

"Uh huh." She answers, as she's contemplating how to get Haley to stand.

"Okay, this is how we're gonna do this. I'll sit down and uh … Just follow my lead." She says, rethinking explaining it, just in case he was listening.

"Okay." Haley says. She feels Brooke move down beside her. She feel her back against hers and her fingers start moving across her back. It takes her a second to realize she's trying to untie her hands, and she then moves her hands towards where her fingers are. Brooke starts pulling on the robes but can't seem to get them to loosen up. Understanding that her efforts aren't being successful, Haley starts working on Brooke's binds. Apparently they weren't so tight, so after a few minutes Brooke's hands are a bit looser.

"Wait, let me try something." Brooke whispers. She moves a bit away from Haley, making a bit more room for the trick she's about to try. They'd demonstrated this in one of her self-defense classes. She hadn't been able to do it then, but she still had a pretty good idea of the technique behind it so she decided to try it anyway. "What are you doing?" Haley wonders, feeling sad for the lack of closeness between her and her lover.

Brooke doesn't answer, instead she focusses completely on getting her body do the things she wants it to do. She moves to sit on her knees and slowly moves her hands till they're over her ass and between her knees. She takes a deep breath and prepares for the tricky part. At first she doesn't manage to pull her leg through, but the third time she gets her arms past her right leg and then her left leg. Holding her hands right in front of her, she can see the nods and pulls them loose with the help of her teeth.

"Yes." She sighs happily, as soon as her hands are free. She rubs her wrist, relieved to have them free and moves back to where Haley was sitting. "This'll make it lots easier." Haley doesn't know what she means at first, but when she feels Brooke's breath in her neck and her hands on the robes, she realizes she must have freed herself.

A few minutes later, both girls have their hands untied and are hugging each other closely. Brooke brings her right hand up to Haley's head and she pulls out of the hug, only to place her lips on Haley's instead. Haley's response is imminent and they start a heavy make out session. Neither knows what to say, so they reveal their emotions in a way that both understand. They both need the comfort and closeness, they need each other.

After a few minutes, Brooke pulls out of the kiss. She moves her hands to cup Haley's cheeks and brushes her lips against her once more. "I love you so much." She whispers.

Haley feels the tears come in her eyes. She leans her head forward so that their foreheads touch.

"I love you too." She answers.

Slowly they walk around until they find the bed that's apparently there. They lie on top of the sheets and fall asleep in each other's arms. Tomorrow was gonna be a hard day. But right now, they had each other. And as long as they had each other, they still had hope …

* * *

Hi guys, so sorry for the long wait! I hope you all liked that it was a bit longer and with some excitement and smut here and there. I hope to have the next chapter up shortly. I've started a new fic from Glee, and I'm gonna try to update a chapter for 1 of my stories every two weeks. Come summer, the amount will hopefully rise :D.

Please let me know what you all think! Reviews are very much appreciated!

Thanks to all of you who have been sticking around for so long! I promise I'm gonna see this story through, I love it so very very much :p.

Till next time!

Lucy


	28. More pieces of the puzzle

Chapter 28: More pieces of the puzzle …

Sounds coming from outside their room, got Haley to wake from her sleep. It wasn't that she had been vast asleep. She usually didn't sleep to well in beds other than her own, except for Brooke's that is. And at the hotel after their date … She guessed it might have something to do with the person lying next to her in those occasions. But tonight, the fact that she had her girl beside her, hadn't done the trick. Her thoughts kept thinking back to everything that had happened the day before. She still didn't understand how Brooke had kept all of this from her. She thought they had an honest relationship, one where they told each other everything. They had started out sneaking around behind everyone's back, but she thought they'd always be upfront with each other. She knew in her heart that Brooke had been trying to protect her, but it seemed like she was always the one that needed protection. Considering the situation they were in, it seemed futile to be worrying about her girlfriends lack of including her in the ongoing investigation for their captors, but it still hurt.

She heard voices in the hallway and was pulled out of her thoughts. There were two male voices and they seemed to be arguing about something. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying though. She carefully moved off of the bed and went towards the door. It was still pitch dark in the room, either it was still the middle of the night or there just weren't any windows in their room. She managed to reach the door without any noise, there didn't seem to be much furniture around. She glanced towards the bed but Brooke didn't stir, she was clearly pretty exhausted. She was too but her mind just wouldn't let her drift away. She put her ear against the door, trying to listen in on the conversation going on at the other end.

"You sure you can't get in?" She heard one of them answer. She was pretty sure John had asked the question but had no clue to what he was referring to.

"I tried everything I know, which I must admit isn't that much. I usually have a guy with a bit more expertise working on this sort of thing. I'm afraid you're gonna have to find another way to get in." The other voice sounded younger and a bit worried what reaction his reply might cause. She didn't recognize the voice though.

"That's okay, I'm sure I'll come up with something. I trust everything went okay in breaking into her house?" John seemed confident enough, both through the sound of his voice and with the words he said. They broke into their house? Or was it hers and Nathan's they were referring to? Either way, she hated the thought that someone had been able to go through her stuff.

"I don't think anyone saw me. There was a cop car at the house, but I went in the way you told me so I didn't rise any suspicion. It took me a while to find the right one though."

There was a cop waiting outside the house but they didn't see someone sneaking in. How is that possible? How could they know a way in without being seen? She was getting the feeling that this was bigger than she thought. This wasn't a randomly made plan, they've been working on this for a lot longer than she realized. Her hope for finding a flaw in their plan was decreasing by the minute. She stopped her thinking when the silence outside was interrupted and again was intent on catching every word that might give her a clue for what was happening next.

"There were two?"

"Uhuh I have the other one in my car, just in case. I have a strong feeling that there were two people living in that house though, but only recently. There were boxes spread around, like someone had just moved in."

John laughed at that. "So they've already moved in together, how … gay of them." He stated. She heard them laugh, but the sound seemed to be moving away from where she was standing. She heard a door open and close and assumed they must have gone outside to get whatever was in the guy's car.

Haley now knew that it was Brooke's house they were referring to. She was relieved that they hadn't gone to Nathan's, 'cause she didn't want him dragged into this, and definitely not Jamie. But at the same time she felt convinced that she'd never be able to sleep in that house again, knowing someone had been there, going through their stuff. The house was empty now. She grabbed the handle on the door and tried opening it without success. _It never hurts to try_, she thought as she sighed unhappily.

She moved back to the bed and lied down on the covers, next to her girlfriend. She turned to face her and could make out the outline of her face as she lay inches from her. She patted around softly, trying to find the former cheerleader's hand. She stroke it lightly, a touch that had always had a peaceful effect on both of them. _I'll get us out of here_, she vowed to herself. She made a promise to herself that she would be strong through all of this, she wanted a forever after with Brooke and she was gonna fight hard to get back on track or die trying.

As Haley continues to stroke the other brunettes hand, she slowly drifts off to a dreamless sleep. For the girl by her side, the feeling had the opposite effect as it elicited a new set of dreams to enter her subconscious. They were lying on the beach in their bikinis. The sun was shining down on them, there was a clear blue sky and the sound of children playing in the sand around them. Brooke was leaning on her elbows taking in the scenery. She'd never felt so at peace before. She glanced to her right and saw Haley lying there, face down with only her but covered by the bottom piece of her bikini. She couldn't help but be turned on by the image. Her beautifully toned body was turned a nice brown from the sunbathing. There were tickles of sweat here and there from the heath the sun was causing. The fashionista found heath travelling down to her core and couldn't resist her following actions. She moved towards the more scarcely clothed brunette and started kissing her back. She left open mounded kisses on the path from her neck to her shoulders to her lower back. She heard a moan escape from the person beneath her and smiled to herself. She loved the sounds Haley would make when they were touching each other. Just the thought of it always held so much power over her. Just as her thought were travelling to a very PG zone and her hands were travelling down, she was pulled out of the dream.

The door to their room slammed open and both girls were startled to end up in a sitting position. They looked towards the man standing in the door opening. Again John was pointing the gun at them. The thought crossed Haley's mind that that was probably his only power over them. Without the gun, Brooke and her could probably take him on. The only problem was being able to take it from him. Brooke was still hazed from being pulled back to reality after her dream. She only became fully aware of where they were when she felt the pain on her wrist from the robe that she had been tied up with.

"Wakey, wakey." He grinned at them. "Come on, move your asses, I need you to do something for me."

Neither girl moved, both still somewhat surprised from the sudden interruption and anxiously wondering what he would want them for.

John didn't like their lack of movement and walked over to the bed sternly. He grabs Haley's arm and throws her of the bed.

"I said move!" He yells at them.

Haley landed hard on the floor, but Brooke was with her instantly. She helps her up and asks her if she's okay. She answers with a quick nod.

"Move!" John shout one more time, clearly getting frustrated.

"Okay, okay." Brooke quietly mutters as she takes hold of Haley's hand while leaving the room. They walk slowly and carefully but don't let out a sound. The reality of the situation is sinking back in, after a night of dreams of a better place. Brooke holds Haley's hand a bit tighter, indicating that they're together and they'll make it through this. Haley smiles back softly in return, dreading every single step they're taking further into the house.

"The door on the left." He instructs them and they quickly do as they're told.

They've been led to what appears to be the living room. There's a TV against the wall and a coffee table and a couch in front of it. Behind the couch there's a table where a man is sitting, playing cards by himself. He's wearing a ski mask to prevent the girls from seeing his face. Brooke can't help but be happy about this. If they're still making sure they're not able to identify the people John's working with, maybe he does plan to let them go once the plan succeeds. But what is the plan?

On the other end of the table, there's two laptops which Haley immediately recognizes as her own and Brooke's. Suddenly the conversation in the hall way makes a lot more sense. But what would they want with their computers?

The guy playing cards looks up and gathers his cards when he realizes he should probably take action. He walks to the side of the room and grabs a pair of handcuffs. His gazes moves between the two girls while he's toying around with them. Finally his gaze settles on John.

"Which one?" He asks, clearly assuming the rest of the question is unnecessary.

"Her." He tells him as he pushes Brooke in his direction and grabs hold of Haley preventing either of them to physically protest. The masked guy quickly pulls Brooke towards him, making it impossible for their hands to remain linked.

"What are you doing?" Brooke asks. The man pushes her down on one of the chairs surrounding the table and pulls her hands behind the back of the chair.

"This so isn't necessary, we'll … " Before she can finish, he gets a cloth that was lying on the table and puts it in her mouth. She starts squirming and tries to get up, but the guy pushes her back down.

"Settle down." He tells her, his voice sounding friendly but the grip on her shoulders makes it clear not to mess with him. He grabs another cloth and this time he ties it around her head, preventing her from seeing anything. She turns her head a few times and tries to move, but the hand on his shoulder remains steady and she finally gives up in trying to fight.

Haley is still being hold back by John. The gun is pushed to her back and tears have started to form in her eyes from seeing the girl of her dreams being manhandled. She watches intently as the guy whispers something in her ear before releasing his grip and moving to get his bag of the couch. Brooke remains frozen. Clearly whatever he said, had enough of an effect on her to make her want to sit still.

Haley doesn't say or do anything. Unlike her girlfriend she's been less aggressive and more passive towards their captors. At first it was because she was afraid to do anything. Seeing Brooke slapped across the face, was not something she enjoyed seeing and she didn't want to endure it herself. But as she had a time to think things over while Brooke was sleeping, she decided it was best to remain passive. That way they wouldn't expect her to try anything, and when she got a chance to, she might have the element of surprise on her side.

The guy had moved his bag to the table. When he opened it, a lot of pointy weird looking tools came into view. Haley's breath was caught in her throat. That couldn't be what she thought it was?

She felt John push her towards the table and she easily obeyed. He pulls out a chair, the one in front of the computers and sat her down.

"Okay," He announced. "So this is what's going to happen. You are going to answer any and all of my questions. You're going to do everything on the computers I tell you to. If you don't do as I say, if you're dishonest or if you fail to do as I ask, my friend here will take action." There's a small pause, seemingly to let Haley process the weight of the words that John had spoken. "BB here tells me that you to have moved in together, is that correct?" Haley softly nods at his question, drops of sweat forming on her forehead from being very aware of what that knowledge means to their captors.

"Say it." He whispers in her ear, making her shiver from head to toe.

"Yes." She replies softly. "We're living together."

"Are you together together?" He asks her in the most obnoxious childish way that makes Haley want to gag.

"Yes, we're a couple." She answers, trying to hold back the attitude that she feels rising.

John's grinning like a crazy fool. BB grins back, unable not to from the look John's giving him. Haley can see BB smiling and feels the anger burning inside of her.

"Well, that certainly works in our favor, now doesn't it? So, to start off, why don't you log in to your girlfriend's computer? I mean since you're living together and you're so intimate with each other, you surely know or can guess what the password is."

Haley looks at the screen hesitantly. She glances over to Brooke who was sitting there completely helpless with two of her senses rendered useless. She's trying to scream but her cries are muffled because of the cloth in her mouth. Her protests are clear though, she doesn't want Haley to log on.

"I don't know the password." She tells him quietly, saying what she's sure her girlfriend would want her to say.

John just laughs at her. "Oh come one, you really expect me to believe that two sentimental lesbians like you probably are don't know the passwords to each other's computer? You can't even guess? Don't tell me you don't know the date of your first time? Or that of your first date? You sure you two are in love?"

Haley's anger furthers at his implications. Sure she knows every one of those dates, in fact their first date is partly the password to her computer, but what could he possibly know about their relationship?

"Why don't you just ask Brooke, since it's her laptop?" BB suddenly asks, asking the question that Haley refused to put to words.

"Well, that would take all the fun out of it, won't it?" He tells him, again with a giant smirk on his face.

"Well, have you thought of any possible passwords yet?" He asks. He pulls up a chair and sits down next to Haley. She's relieved to not have him breathing down her neck anymore, but this way the gun is within eyesight, which is just as bad.

Haley types in a password that she knows won't work. A message appears on the screen saying 'Incorrect password. Please try again.'. John's not laughing anymore. Instead he turns to BB and gives him a silent nod. He moves in front of Brooke and slaps her hard across the face. Haley shrieks from the sudden hit and looks guiltily towards Brooke. The hazel-eyed girl is again screaming in protest.

"Why don't you try again, Haley?" John asks her politely. His voice screams of arrogance as he knows he's gonna win this, it's just a matter of time and by the look of things not that much.

Haley again types in a password, but the same message appears saying that it's the wrong one.

"I …" Haley says. "I thought that was the right one, I really don't know." She turns her head to look John in the eyes, fear clear in her own. He just smiles at her. "If that's how you wanna play it." He says and again he nods in BB's reaction who immediately smacks Brooke across the face again. The power of the blow has Brooke tumbling down from the chair. Haley tries to get up and move to her side but John prevents her from going anywhere near her.

"I can keep this up as long as I want, you know. BB's hand here's gonna start hurting though, so he's gonna have to move on to some of those tools neatly spread on the table. You sure you wanna put your girlfriend through that?"

Haley lets out a loud gulp-sound. She knows they have her beat, she can't keep refusing to give them what they want. Sooner or later, she'll give in. The difference will be the amount of pain her girlfriend is in, so she might as well give in now. She moves her fingers over the keyboard to put in what she's sure is the right password this time. But when she sees the same message appear for the third time, she left leaving confused and scared of the repercussions of her mistake.

John's patience is wearing of, despite his earlier declaration of being able to keep this going for as long as he wants. Clearly those words were meant to urge Haley on, and it had done just that.

John moves from Haley's side, grabs a knife from the table and places it against her neck. The brunette has nowhere to go and lets out a muffled scream by the feeling of the blade against her skin. She doesn't dare move, in case the movement might cause the blade to pierce her skin. Haley is typing frantically on the keyboard, trying to fight the right combination. She knew the password consisted of the date they first kissed, the name Brooke was going to use for her first child and the age she was when they first became friends. Finally she got the order right and she screamed at John "I got it, I got it! Please let her go!" The blade had pierced the skin a bit and little droplets of blood had started to appear. John threw the knife back on the table and marched towards the computer. Haley was standing but was quickly pushed back on her seat by John.

"Good job Haley, I knew you had it in you." He starts taping away at the laptop, looking for something she could only guess at. Meanwhile BB was ungagged and un-blindfolded Brooke, while leaving her hands cuffed on her back. "You want me to put them back?" He asks John, eager to abide his every command. John turns his gaze towards his partner in crime. "Just this one." He tells him, indicating Haley. "But go easy on her, we don't want them to be too damaged."

Both girls cringe at the possible meaning behind those words. BB grabs hold of Haley and drags her with him, back towards the room they had spent the night in. Haley tries to get away but the grip BB has on her is too strong. Brooke gets up from her chair, charging towards the man that's about to take off with her girlfriend. She doesn't get far though as John reacted to moment she left her chair by standing up and directing his gun towards Haley.

"You'll want to think long and hard before you continue down the path you're on." Is all he tells them. Brooke stops death in her tracks, fear taking over her being. "Why don't you sit down?" He tells her, patting the seat beside him that was previously occupied by Haley. "The sooner you give me what you want, the faster you'll be able to join your girlfriend."

* * *

Okay, so I've gone a bit dark with this fic … I'm not gonna let anything too dramatic happen, but there'll be a bit more tension before there can be a happy ending. I have a pretty good idea of how I want to end this (but ideas are always welcome) and that ending won't be too far away. I'm guessing 5 chapters at the most. If there's plenty of encouragement and maybe some suggestions, that number can of course increase =). Thanks everybody so far who has alerted, added it to their favorites and reviewed this story! Especially CaseyJr, you've pretty much reviewed every chapter and given me hints along the way so seriously THANK YOU! It truly means a lot! This was my first try at writing a fan fiction story, which is surely to be noticed by the inconsistencies and such throughout the story, but I hope you've enjoyed it overall!

Until next time!

Lucy


	29. An Ally

_Previously: Brooke and Haley have been taken to a house by John and his current partner in crime BB. When they're brought to the living room they find out their laptops have been stolen from their house. John chooses to play a little game and forces Haley to login to Brooke's computer by threatening Brooke with physical violence. After much back and forth, Haley finally types in the right password._

"Good job Haley, I knew you had it in you." He starts tapping away at the laptop, looking for something she could only guess at. Meanwhile BB has ungagged and un-blindfolded Brooke, while leaving her hands cuffed on her back. "You want me to put them back?" He asks John, seemingly eager to abide his every command. John turns his gaze towards his partner in crime. "Just this one." He tells him, indicating Haley. "But go easy on her, we don't want them to be too damaged."

Both girls cringe at the possible meaning behind those words. BB grabs hold of Haley and drags her with him, back towards the room they had spent the night in. Haley tries to get away but the grip BB has on her is too strong. Brooke gets up from her chair, charging towards the man that's about to take off with her girlfriend. She doesn't get far though as John reacted the moment she left her chair by standing up and directing his gun towards Haley.

"You'll want to think long and hard before you continue down the path you're on." Is all he tells them. Brooke stops death in her tracks, fear taking over her being. "Why don't you sit down?" He tells her, patting the seat beside him that was previously occupied by Haley. "The sooner you give me what I want, the faster you'll be able to join your girlfriend."

* * *

Chapter 29: An Ally

BB drags Haley to the room. She's completely terrified and is struggling hard but can't seem to break away from the strong hold he has on her. Her heart is beating in her throat. Never before has she felt this scared. He throws her on the bed and closes the door behind him. Tears start streaming from Haley's eyes, but she barely even notices. She closes her eyes tight, picturing Brooke lying beside her, hoping it'll give her the strength she needs to get through this. Her mind is in overdrive, trying to think of something she can do or say, but she's left feeling helpless.

As she feels the bed shift, she knows he's sitting beside her. He doesn't move closer though, which confuses Haley. The implications had been quite obvious, the devious smirk John had thrown her way had left little room for doubt. The sound of her name being called, snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Haley? Open your eyes please, I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise."

The tone of his voice sounded sincere, almost pleading, but she had no reason to believe him. She kept her eyes locked tied as he continued.

"My name is Bob. I'm a police officer and I'm here on an undercover assignment."

Either he was playing some weird game to get her to trust him or he was telling the truth. Hoping with all her heart it was the last one, she opened her eyes and looked up to him.

"You're a cop?" She asks, her voice still unsteady.

"Yes." He resolutely answers back. "I can't explain everything right now, since time is obviously of the essence so I need you to pay attention to what I'm about to tell you." Haley gives him a short nod and he quickly continues his explanation.

"I've been working on infiltrating Terry's gang for a while and after we arrested him I found my way to John. This is the closest we've gotten to any real answers. This entire thing, from when they held you captive at that house, the plans they had for you then and the reason they kidnapped you now, is part of something bigger. What I need from you right now, is your help. Brooke knows I'm one of the good guys and as long as John's looking for something on that computer, she's save. But I need to get back in there as soon as possible."

"Brooke knows? But how … ? This isn't making any sense! Why should I believe you?" She asks loudly, her frustrations and insecurities getting the better of her.

"Shush." He says, keeping his voice low enough so that no one outside the room could hear. "Not so loud. I know you're not exactly keen on trusting me right now, but I need you to work with me here. Right now, he's under the impression I'm doing all kinds of bad things to you and we need him to believe it."

"Okay, I'll be quiet, but how does Brooke know?" She asks him, that very fact bothering her immensely and needing to know the answer, at the very least as an indication that he's actually telling the truth.

"Chief Schwann filled her in on our operation as best he could. She was told a code word which would indicate an ally. I whispered that word in her ear earlier, letting her know that she needed to play along in order for things to remain somewhat controlled."

Haley remembered him whispering something in Brooke's ear, causing her to hold back her struggle. She had to ask though … "Play along? You mean you weren't actually hurting her?" Relieve sounding through every word she spoke.

"I promise you, I barely touched her. I made it seem like I did and she made it sound like I did, to both yours and John's benefit. I needed you both to believe it, in order for John to believe his game was working. I know it got a little out of hand towards the end, but I promise I was just about ready to jump in when you entered the right combination."

"Okay, I guess I believe you. I don't really have much of a choice, but there's too much at stake right now. What are we going to do now? Since you're here, Brooke is left fending for herself. Do you know what he's looking for?"

"We know he needs cash. Since the deal didn't happen last time, they didn't deliver what they had promised which means they owe someone money. What we're mainly trying to figure out is who he owes money to and how he's going to get it. We have some leads, but nothing solid enough. I don't know the exact number yet either, but I know it's a large amount. He's offered me half a million dollars to work with him, which means he's looking for a lot more than that. Whatever he's looking for on that computer is probably something worth a lot of money."

* * *

_Dear Nathan,_

_If you ever want to see your wife again, you are to follow the following instructions:_

_Gather 15 million dollars_

_DO NOT involve the police, if you do I WILL KNOW_

_Wait for my call at 2 a.m. with further instruction for when and where you are to drop the money. If you have any doubts on the sincerity of my threats, I'll allow Haley to say a few words._

_John_

_Ps. If you don't do as you're told, you'll find that I don't only know where you and those closest to you live but I also wouldn't hesitate in slicing their throats._

_Ps2. If you'd be so kind in including an autographed picture, I'm a huge fan of you_

John was looking at his screen with a giant smirk on his face. He'd spent 20 minutes in writing that letter and had been gleaming in pride for every second of it.

"Should I say 'slicing their throats' or just 'killing them'? If I'm a little vague, he'll be wondering what I'm capable of but if I'm more specific it might make him believe it more." He thinks out loud, trying to agitate Brooke by being casual about his treats on killing all her friends. "I do think the request for an autographed picture is a nice touch, I just hilarious sometimes."

Brooke just sits there, dread taking over her being. How was Nathan to do anything but abide his orders? She would, if she were in his position. She couldn't help but wonder about the line_ 'DO NOT involve the police, if you do I WILL KNOW'. _She couldn't tell if he was bluffing or not. Chief Schwann hadn't indicated anything like that, so if he did have someone on the inside, the police probably didn't know. She was starting to doubt whether or not to trust BB. He'd been undercover for several weeks, as far as she knew. Was it possible he had changed sides? Or maybe he was pretending to have switched, in order to gain his confidence and get the information they needed. There were so many scenarios running through her mind, she didn't know what to believe any more. She just hoped from the bottom of her heart that her girlfriend was okay.

"Alright Brooke, now that that's settled …" He says while printing out his letter. "Let's get started on something else I'm gonna need."

"Like what?" Brooke sneers at him, trying to keep up an attitude and not show the fear that has actually taken over.

"I need the names of some of the models that work for you in that multimillion company that you own." He tells her casually, not intimidated in the slightest by the tone of her voice.

She contemplates how she could give him that. There were several files of men and women wanting to audition for her company on her computer. Those files weren't easily accessible though, which gave her enough courage in saying the following.

"I don't have any files like that, I don't store them on my personal computer." Brooke tells him, sounding a lot stronger than she felt, hoping he wouldn't call her bluff.

"Oh, but I think you do. You see, I have a source that informed me that you are responsible for picking the models you'll be working with. There's other people on your staff that select the chosen few and you decide who gets the job."

Brooke couldn't believe what she was hearing. He knows about that? If he has someone inside her company with that kind of information, he might not be bluffing about having a cop on his side as well. And if that's true, there's no sure way of knowing who was actually on their side. This all sure looked thought true, something she hadn't anticipated, given the way things had been handled last time. She felt less and less confident as time passed. She needed Haley and she needed a new plan.

"I don't have all day Miss Davis, and if you care at all about your woman, you might wanna start helping me. After all, you might not be together much longer."

Those words were enough to pull Brooke back to reality. Haley was alone and probably scared, BB had given her the save word but that didn't mean that they were actually safe. He was planning to trade Haley for money, who knows what he had planned for her. Right now, all she wanted was to be able to hold Haley and find comfort in her. Part of her wished she could turn back time. What if they hadn't kissed that night and confessed their feelings to each other? Maybe she'd still be with Nathan. They wouldn't have been out on a date when Terry's guys found us and they wouldn't be here right now. Doubts about everything that had happened the past few months were surfacing. She couldn't help but think how badly she had messed up every ones lives.

John could see the influence her words had on Brooke and wanted to take full advantage of that. He had the perfect angle right now to manipulate Brooke into giving what he wanted by offering something she wouldn't be able to refuse.

"How about we make a deal? You read the letter, you know what the plan is. That letter will be send to her husband. He'll pay, you know that as much as I do. This would mean that I don't have any more use for her after that. I'll let you have one last night together, if you give me what I want right now."

Brooke hated everything about what he was proposing. She didn't want to know what he meant by not having any more use of Haley any more. That was something way too scary to consider. She didn't like the fact that she was leaning towards agreeing to the deal either. It would mean giving up information on innocent people. She didn't know what he needed it for, honestly she didn't want to know. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she gave in to his offer by putting innocent people on the line for the sake of her own happiness. But then again, she didn't know how much longer she'd be able to have that happiness. She'd hate herself for giving into him, but at the same time she'd hate herself even more if this turned out to be the last night she'd get to spend with the love of her life. Basically, she was stuck.

* * *

Haley and BB were going over their plan one last time. BB had shared all the information he had. He explained about the ransom note Nathan would be getting and the similar plan for Brooke. If they played their cards right, they'd be able to turn the tables in their favor. Haley was putting a lot of fate in BB, without him there's no way it would work. But why would he come up with such a plan, if he's not planning on going through with it? She had to trust them, for all their sakes. It was the only hope she had left.

There was a knock at the door. As BB headed towards it, he signaled Haley to be quiet. It was dark in the room, the only light came from a small lamp in the opposite corner of the bed, so John wouldn't be able to see Haley and question whether what he thought had happened, actually happened.

"We made a deal, she gave me a few names already and she'll give me the rest tomorrow. But only if Haley doesn't get hurt any more than she already has. I hope you had your fun, because I plan to stick by my word." John informs BB, speaking too quiet for Haley to fully hear what he's saying. They both return to the living room. A few minutes later, the door opens again, allowing Brooke to enter.

"Have fun girls!" John calls out to them, the sound of victory emanating from him. The sound makes Brooke crinch, but when she sees Haley sitting on the bed, all angry and frustrating thoughts are replaced by the love she feels for the girl in front of her.

"Brooke? Are you okay? What happened? What did he want from you?" Haley asks concerned. She gets up and walks towards her, enveloping her in a tight hug the moment they're close enough.

Brooke happily puts her arms around the smaller brunette. She pulls her as close to her as she possibly can, needing the familiarity and comfort that comes along with it.

"Did he hurt you? He told me he was on our side, but I wasn't sure and what they were implying …" Brooke started, tears were falling from her side as she finally let down the walls she had tried to keep up before.

"I'm fine." Haley says quickly. "He didn't touch me, I swear. He explained everything to me, about how he fake slapped you before, why he was undercover and what was at store for us. He came up with a plan, a way for us to get out of here. He can't contact the police because John's still suspicious and he doesn't want to risk his cover being blown, so he can't get backup. Without him, we don't stand much of a chance, so we need to stay alert and play along as best we can." Haley explained while holding Brooke's hands and looking into her eyes. The look she gave her shone with hope and strength. Brook couldn't help feeling proud. She was usually the one standing strong, not because Haley wasn't but because she always felt the need to protect those important to her by being someone they can count on. When she entered the room, she had felt anything but strong. She had given into him, she had lost all hope in a happy ending and felt like there was no way out. It felt good to find that hope again with Haley.

"Explain the plan to me later, there's something I need to do right now." Brooke simply states, her voice as raw as ever.

Haley looked at her confused, not knowing what she meant. She'd have plenty of time to explain the plan to Brooke in the morning, so that didn't matter. She looked into those gorgeous brown eyes she so easily got lost in and saw the love she felt every single day. She also saw vulnerability, something Brooke didn't easily show, she always seemed to wanna be the strong one. Right now however, Haley felt like the strong one and she was more than willing to let Brooke lean on her for a change.

Brooke smiles sweetly at Haley and for a moment she forgot where they were. All she could see was this gorgeous woman that had turned her life upside down and even though that went along with a lot of heartache, she wouldn't trade what she had with Brooke for anything in the world.

They moved closer again and their lips softly brushed against each other. There was no need to let passion take control right now, love was all they needed to guide them. Because right here and right now, that is what they could hold onto the most. That was the one thing they knew to be real, the love they felt for each other. They made their way over to the bed without breaking the kiss. There needs were growing stronger. Brooke's hands kept moving up and down Haley's sides. She pushed her down to sit on the bed softy and straddled her. Her hands were now moving through her hair, grasping it ever so lightly to increase the power behind the kiss.

They had shared many kisses. Some were sloppy, when their hormones would take over control and there was no need to make their kisses more synchronized. Some were soft and sweet, as a way of saying hi or good morning. Others were passionate, tongues fighting for dominance as they let their bodies and the heat lead the way. All of those kisses were perfect in their own sense. They all contained the feelings they had for each other and the intimacy they shared. But the kiss they were sharing now, was by far the most intimate of them all. Maybe it was because they needed it more, because they were in a terrible situation where the only true comfort they had was each other. Maybe it was because it might be one of the last ones they'd share, in the very real possibility that things might go badly for them in the next few days. Maybe it was because their emotions hadn't ever laid so bare, causing their connection to intensify. Maybe it was because after all the trials they'd been through, all the hurt and pain, all the insecurities and risks they'd faced, they knew they'd never find someone else that would understand them better and care for them more.

They started taking each other's clothes of, their lips only parting when needed to take off a piece of garment. They spend their time exploring each other's bodies. It's not like they hadn't touched each other before, they knew each other's sweet spots well enough from previous sexcapades. But this wasn't about sex, this was about making love. If this was truly the last night they got to spend together, they would put in any and all effort to make sure the other knew exactly how loved they were.

* * *

Hi everyone. I hope there's still a few readers out there who haven't lost interest. I know it's been a while and I'm sorry about that. I'm always working on how to continue this story, but the words just haven't been coming so well for this fic lately. In a few weeks, this story will reach its second birthday. I promise I'll update at least one more chapter by then. I had planned to finish the story by then, but I won't be able to that it seems. I want to at least give it a proper ending!

I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on the story so far. Do you like where I've taken it, putting in drama and some angsty situations? I hadn't planned on it at first, but it seems that just where the story took me …

Should there be more romance? What do you want to see happen?

What do you think of this chapter? On who's side do you think BB is actually on? What could the plan be that John has for Brooke? And what plan did Haley and BB come up with to escape?

I know the answers :p, but I'd really like to know what you guys think. I don't want things to be too predictable ;-).

Stay tuned if you want to know what'll happen to our lovely ladies next :D.

Until next time!

Lucy


	30. The hour is getting closer

I'm really sorry for the long wait, I've had the outline for this chapter and the next in my head for quite some time now but I never managed to put it in writing. Maybe I was overthinking it or something, I don't know. But finally I have gotten my head right and this is the result. I hope you like it, it could've been better IMO but it's the best I could do after being out of it for so long. Enjoy :).

_Previously: When Haley gets dragged off to the room they slept in, both girls are terrified of what might happen. But as it turns out, BB is actually police officer Bob who's on an undercover assignment to bring down Terry's gang. He tells Haley as much as he can and together they formulate a plan to get out safely and bring down John at the same time. Meanwhile John is trying to gather information from Brooke but in doing so he causes Brooke to doubt even more whom she can trust since he obviously has someone working for him at her company and possibly some cops too. He convinces her to make a deal, if she gives him names, he'll give her one last night with the love of her life. Brooke eventually agrees, knowing that this might well be the last night they get to have together. She goes to Haley who tries to fill her in on the plan, but their need to be intimate overpowers them and they make love like it could be their last time …_

Chapter 30 – The hour is getting closer …

_8 a.m. NATHAN_

Nathan finds the note as he's headed out the door. As he reads the words over and over and over, his hearts starts pumping and fear takes over his body. He knew something was wrong, Haley and Brooke wouldn't just take off without saying anything. Saturday night had been extremely confusing. There he was, standing in the crowd, eager to hear Haley's newest song when all she sang was a song that was a few years old and she wrote when they were still together. He saw in her eyes that something was wrong, but he no longer was the person that she ran to when she needed someone, so he let it go. He kept it in mind thought, 'cause he'd never stop caring for Haley. Maybe he should've trusted his instincts back than and talked to the police when he didn't see her at all after her performance, but then again the note was very clear about not involving the cops so if he had warned them, he could've been in an even worse situation now.

He takes a seat and reads the note a few times more, trying to figure out what his options are. Whether he's bluffing on having a guy on the police force or not, he wasn't about to take that risk. They're talking about the mother and godmother of his son. Two women he cared deeply about. Despite the fact that he's still hurting inside for the way things ended between him and Haley, he'd still do anything to protect the both of them. He knows how happy they make each other which is why he had given them his support. It was then that he realized what he needed to do. He grabbed his coat and keys and headed out the door, determined to do anything in his power to get his ex-wife and her girlfriend back in one piece.

_8 a.m. JOHN_

John had a good night's sleep and woke up early to go over the last details of his plan. He was smirking at the fact that he had come up with the perfect scheme to get as much as possible out of his situation. It wasn't without risks but if he did it right, he'd be able to have a very decent life in a few days' time. He had arranged the two drivers and the decoy already, but that was the easy part. He had to make sure he had everyone convinced of the right things in order for the plan to run smoothly.

He knew just the thing to tell Nathan during the phone call he would be making in a couple of hours. The other part of the plan was a bit more difficult. He needed to get Terry back on this side of the bars. However, he didn't have the right leverage to initiate a trade so he had to go about it a different way. The only other way of getting him out was if he involved BB, but he was still a bit wary about trusting him. He knew how they got to Terry, so he knew the costs of trusting the wrong people. But at the same time, trust can be bought. He had a feeling that if he doubled the amount of money he promised BB, he'd be more than willing to pull through on his end of the deal.

_8.30 a.m. HALEY_

It was the second morning they woke up in a strange bed. They were snuggled up close, enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies. Haley started to wake up. As she gathered her thoughts, she becomes more and more aware of the danger they were in. They had one day left to perfect their plan, one day to gather all her courage and see to it that Brooke and her got out of this alive.

She nudged at Brooke, encouraging her to wake up so that they could work on their plan while they were still by themselves. She had planned on filling her in the night before, but Brooke was very determined and they got carried away. Things had never been so intense before, she could sense the desperation in every touch but at the same time she had never felt more loved. As she reminisces about the night before, she finds herself getting confused. It wasn't like Brooke to initiate things like she had under the circumstances they're in. It's not like she regrets it, it's just that she hadn't expected for her to risk valuable time that they needed to find a way out of here for a little tumble in the sack. Things made less and less sense as she thought about it. When BB had dragged her away, John was looking for something on Brooke's computer. The fact that Brooke got to join her, meant that he probably found it. She couldn't imagine what could've made Brooke give into him. Except, maybe … If she had been in her position, the only thing that could've made her give in was threatening the people she loved. She had to know what happened, what he said and probably threatened to do that made her relent. Brooke still hadn't fully woken up, so she nudged her again and softly spoke to her, hoping it would catch her attention.

"Brooke? Brooke sweetie, wake up."

Brooke stirred a bit, but still didn't open her eyes. Haley felt like she had to resort to the best weapon she had in waking up the brunette, besides the smell of breakfast, and started kissing her neck just on the spot that drove her crazy. It was only to wake her up, there would be no follow up since she had been unable to resist last night and was now almost regretting it.

She could see a smile appear on her face, indicating that she was definitely waking up now. She felt bad for ripping her out of whatever dream world she was in, since it obviously was better than reality right now. But they needed to face reality and stop fooling around, because there was no room for mistakes right now.

8.30 a.m. BROOKE

She could feel Haley stirring beside her, slowly waking up. Brooke hadn't slept, she was having too many conflicting feelings all at once. It had been amazing to make love to her beautiful girlfriend, it always was, but from the moment she had accepted John's deal she had been fighting the thoughts that were inside her head. Thoughts that she was being selfish for choosing what was possibly her last chance at happiness over the protection of people she didn't know but likely had just as much to lose. During their lovemaking, the thoughts weren't as clear. Feeling the connection she's always had with Haley and having the feeling that somehow she had been worthy enough to have her in her life, made her believe that she had the right to be selfish. She was only human and anyone in her position would have probably done the same thing.

When she felt Haley falling asleep beside her with a content smile on her face, the thoughts came back. And again she was overcome with guilt. But as the morning came closer, she found herself not giving in to the thoughts anymore. She had to find a way around it. Then, she started getting angry. First still at herself, but eventually at the person that she really should be angry at: John. He's the one that kidnapped them, he's the one that made her choose. In order for her to justify herself and the choice she had made, she had to beat him and make him pay for ever putting her in that position. Just around that time she heard Haley call out to her. She wasn't asleep, but she had been lost it thought and had her eyes closed so it made sense that she assumed she was. When she felt those gorgeous lips on her neck, right on the spot that sent tingles up and down her spine, she couldn't help the way her lips curled. Haley had often woken her up this way, often followed by some more intimacy be she knew that wasn't her intention this time.

"Morning." She said to her, just before yawning.

"Morning." Haley said back, wearing a small smile. She had a confused but determined look in her eyes and it made Brooke wonder what she was thinking.

"We need to talk Brooke, I don't know how long we have before things turn crazy and we need to start going over the plan if we have any chance of getting out of her."

"I know, so tell me, what's the plan?"

11 a.m. NATHAN

The moment he made his decision, he started preparing for it at best he could. First, he had dropped of Jamie at Clay's. He needed to make sure he was nowhere around when things got ugly. Neither Clay nor Quinn knew anything about Brooke and Haley missing, luckily. Whoever had them, had made sure to keep it under the radar. A part of him would've liked someone on his side through all of this, but above all he just wanted to make sure no one got hurt and by involving others, that became a harder task to fulfil.

Then, he made an appointment at the bank for later in the afternoon. He needed to drop by and sign a few papers for the amount of money he was withdrawing. A call to Skills and Mouth were next. He needed a few things to keep as much control over the situation as he could. Luckily neither asked questions and said they'd drop everything off on their way to work. Right now, he was shooting hoops. To any other person, it would seem ridiculous to be dribbling a ball and aiming it at a basket when 2 of the most important people in your life were in danger. But for Nathan, it allowed him to think. He had 15 hours left and he needed to doing anything he could to prepare. He had formed several scenarios in his head and was working through every single one of them, trying to find a way to not get himself or Haley or Brooke killed. It was just like in basketball, thinking ahead before a move was made and assuring for a way to turn the situation into your own advantage. It wouldn't be easy though, because this time he didn't have teammates that had his back and there weren't any rules to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. This was very dangerous and very real and anything but a game.

11 a.m. JOHN & BB

It was time to get everything further in order and to do that, he needed to fill BB in. He was sitting at the table playing cards, as usual but quickly turned his attention to John when he entered the house.

"Everything good here?" He asks, wanting to make sure nothing happened during the time he was out.

"All good boss." Came the reply. "The girls have barely made a noise all morning, they're probably still asleep."

John smiled happily at that, he had listened in on their activities last night and it sure sounded like they'd be worn out for a good long while.

"Good. You know BB, you've done a decent job so far." He throws down a bundle of bills in front of him which surprises the younger man since he was told to get his money after the job was done. BB had a feeling there was a catch, but since John usually didn't beat around the bush, he didn't have to wait long to find out what it was.

"This is half the amount of money that I promised you. I'm giving you this now as a sign of good faith and to ask for a favour. In exchange for this favour, I'll double the amount I offered you." He explains, a smile still on his face and no reason beside the fact that he's a criminal to doubt him.

"What would you have me do?"

11 a.m. BROOKE AND HALEY

Haley passed on everything that BB had told her the day before. Brooke in her turn explained what had happened after she was taken to her room. The singer had comforted her after she told her story. She understood why she had done it, she couldn't say it for sure but part of her thought she'd probably had done the same. But she didn't let them drift off for too long and put their focus back on the situation at hand. From what BB had told her, they would be left alone in the house for less than an hour somewhere during the night. During that time, they would probably collect the money from Nathan. He didn't know the details yet, but they would put Haley in a separate room while making Brooke think she was with them. This gave them the perfect window to escape and would make John's plans come crashing down by the time they returned. The undercover cop had promised to leave their doors unlocked so they could sneak out. The only thing they had to do was be as fast and as careful as they could. He had also given them a plan from their whereabouts and a phone. They had agreed not to use the phone until they were at a safe distance. There wasn't much battery left, so it was turned off and hidden for now.

It was a good plan, apart from one thing: it all depended on whether or not BB/officer Bob would pull through. They both knew that it wasn't smart to depend on someone they didn't really know and weren't sure to trust. There was a lot of money concerned it seemed, which meant that they could never be sure where his loyalties really lie. So they needed to figure out a way to make sure the plan would work, without BB's help.

Time seemed to go really slowly that day. Everything was set to happen at night, which meant they had to get through the day first. All the parties involved, used that time to plan everything they could so they were most likely to succeed. John went over all the different stages of his plan with BB, both for getting Terry out of prison and the supposed exchange of Haley with the money. He also made some calls for the next day, so that he could get the money that had been offered for Brooke and Haley as soon as possible and he could go off living the good life. During his explanations for his right hand, he had an idea for another option. He decided to share that with the girls when the time was right.

Nathan had gotten everything he needed for the exchange later that day. He had gotten the money from the bank, without acting suspicious or nervous so someone would raise questions and had it stored safely in a briefcase. On the briefcase, he had placed a miniscule tracking device. Mouth had given him instructions on how to activate it and how to track it. In the hopes they didn't find it, he would be able to locate the location for where the girls were being held. Even if they did follow through on their promise for giving him Haley, this still left Brooke in the hands of those criminals. The fact that she hadn't even been mentioned in the note, worried him and made him wonder what their plans were with the fashonista. He didn't doubt that the same men that had held them before were responsible now. He knew Haley would remain with them until 2 a.m. because they had promised that he'd be able to talk to her. For this reason, he had gotten Skills to explain how you could track someone that you were on the phone with. He wasn't sure it would work, but he needed to try everything he could in order to keep his girls safe.

Brooke and Haley remained in their room until BB came to get them at 12 a.m. Until then they had spent their time perfecting their plan as best they could. Thoughts of the worst case scenario never left them though, which is why they had spent a few hours cuddling on their bed and telling each other stories, just so they could spend their possible last moments in their own little world. Haley talked about her childhood before the two had become friends. About some of the adventures she had with Lucas and the many family get-togethers before her siblings graduated. Brooke in turn talked about growing up with Peyton and all the silly things they used to do together.

After sharing moments in which they hadn't known about each other, they started to reminisce about how they actually became friends, against all odds. They both had the feeling something had already started growing when they were first living together, but Haley loved Nathan and Brooke had other things on her mind at the time. They admit to not regretting any of it though, because that enlightening evening that now felt like it was a million years ago, had been the perfect start of this chapter in their lives. The chapter in which they found a new love with someone already very important in their lives and the ability to embrace it.

After sharing those stories, they felt more together than ever. Brooke was lying in Haley's arms and felt tears start to well in her eyes. She had never felt more at home than when Haley was holding her and it broke her heart, thinking that she might not have that after today. Haley sushed her and gave her the best pep talk she could pull together in that moment, without letting her own fears reach the surface. They needed to be strong. They needed to hold it together and stay focussed on getting out of there alive. They only had each other, so they needed to be strong for each other and believe in the fact that it was their time to shine and to create a future together.

"Come on girls, John needs a talk." Said BB, while he was standing at the door. He could see the fear in both their eyes, something that would surely satisfy John.

The girls slowly got off the bed and followed the undercover cop to the living area. As usual, John was sitting there with a smirk on his face, oozing a confidence that only encouraged the fear they were feeling. They still had some hope left though, but they were wise enough not to let that show 'cause he was sure to find a way to take that from them.

"Well girls, I hope you enjoyed your last night and day together. Please, take a seat." He pointed at the couch across from where he was sitting and the girls silently did as they were told. "I brought you in here to explain what's going to happen. See, about two hours from now I'll be calling your husband," He nodded towards Haley, who was holding Brooke's hand and trying to remain calm." I'll be letting him know where and when to drop the money and where and when I'll be handing you over. Your boy has been very good so far, he hasn't said a word to anyone. He must really care about you." They both knew he was saying these things to make them feel guilty, they also knew that he could tell that it was working. "Now, Brooke was kind enough to give me the information I wanted which is why I left you alone 'till now. But now, I have another deal I want to make. See, I've made arrangements to sell this information and the amount of money they're offering has left me in a very good mood. That money combined with what dear Nathan will be handing over in a couple of hours, will give me everything I need to start over somewhere far away from here. For this reason, I'm offering you both a chance for freedom and a chance to life a happy life."

Haley and Brooke are listening intently, curious to what it is he thinks they'll make a deal for. Neither of them believe so far that he's actually telling the truth though, but their confidence wavers as he continues his explanation.

"I know you don't trust me, after all, I am a criminal. But soon I'll be a criminal with tons of money and I don't want anything to stand in the way of that. I could stick to the original plan, which means handing you, Haley, over to your husband so that you two can raise your child together and live as happy a life as you can and handing you, Brooke, over to some colleagues of mine who have been dying to get their hands on you since they first laid eyes on you." Hearing it put that way has chills running up and down both their spines. It's very likely that they have no intention of handing Haley over to Nathan, but the part about Brooke seems more likely to actually be the truth.

"So what's the other option?" Haley asks reluctantly, but knowing that it's something they need to hear.

"Well, the alternative is that neither of you get handed over. Instead I'll put you on a plane to somewhere with some cash in your pockets and the knowledge that you'll be together forever. I'll be leaving Tree Hill tomorrow regardless and I'll have no use for you anymore. There's no down side for me since I'll have the money I want and I'll be sending BB along with you to ensure that you won't be able to find me or have the police find me. It would mean less ties to me and therefor a smaller chance of anyone finding me. While it has some sacrifices on your part, there's enough advantages too." He looks over to the girls and can tell that they're having a lot of thoughts running through their minds. "I'll give you some time to think this over. BB, why don't you take them back to their room so they can talk this through. I'll be coming to get you by the time I'm calling Nathan and I'll expect an answer then."

The girls silently return to their room and the moment they're alone start discussing their options.

"What do you think we should do, Brooke?" Haley asks, not knowing whether to trust his offer but preferring it over ending up in the hands of other criminals.

"I don't know Haley, I don't trust that guy. There's no way of knowing whether he's telling the truth or not. And even if he is, it would mean leaving Tree Hill. It would mean giving up on our lives here, on Jamie and Nathan and all our other friends and family. Do you really think you'd be able to say goodbye to that? If he hands you over to Nathan, at least you'll have that, at least you'll be happy."

"We both know he has no intention of actually letting me go. And the thought of either of us ending up with people smugglers or whoever he was talking about, makes me sick to my stomach. The chances of us being together and ever seeing our family and friends again if we don't find our own way out of here, is non-existent as it is."

"But what if he is willing to let you go? We only know what BB told us and for all we know that wasn't the truth or isn't the truth anymore. If there's actually a chance that you'll get out of here and be with your family, I think that's a chance we have to take. If we choose the other option, it's also possible that we won't be able to go through with our plan, because we won't know whether we have that window or not."

The two go on assessing both options as best they can, knowing that whatever they chose will come with big sacrifices. Only seconds after they come to an agreement, there's a knock at their door and John saying "Showtime!".

* * *

Finally, an update for this story! I know it's been way too long and I hope those of you that followed the story 'till now are still able to follow the story. Please, let me know what you think! Was it worth the wait? What do you think will happen next? The next chapter will be a lot sooner, that is a promise! I have a lot less school work compared to the last 6 months, seeing how I've only got my internship left, so that should work in favor of my writing. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far and I hope I haven't let you down!

Until next time!

Lucy


	31. The beginning of the end

_Previously on Special Brownies_

_After waking up from their night of passion, the girls started planning their escape. They know bits and pieces of the plan, thanks to BB, but they aren't convinced that he's to be trusted anymore, so they make sure to have options that don't include his help. Meanwhile Nathan has received the note stating he is to gather 15 million dollars if he wants his wife back. Without the option of gaining help from the police, he decides to use everything he knows and has in order for the girls to come out of this alive. John is working out his plans for the night, starting with getting Terry out of prison and ending with gathering the cash Nathan's paying for Haley. Just before everything is meant to start happening, John offers the girl an alternative to being handed over to his people smuggling colleagues. If they agree, he'll put them on a plane to an unknown destination with some cash to survive, but only if they promise to never return to Tree Hill, thus leaving their family and friends behind. He needs this reassurance, in order for him to make his getaway. The girls are to give their answers when he comes to get Haley for her call to Nathan._

Chapter 31 - The beginning … of the end

_NATHAN_

It's 1.58 a.m. Nathan is waiting by his phone anxiously. He has everything he needs for the exchange, he just needs the confirmation that they really have Haley and the location where they are to meet. When the phone starts ringing, his heart rate increases. He takes a deep breath, activates the tracking device Mouth taught him how to use and answers the phone. With a clear and steady voice, he calls out. "This is Nathan."

"Well, hello Nathan." The scrambled voice on the other end answers. Since the voice was masked, he couldn't identify who the voice belonged to, but he was sure the person on the other end was a man. Whether it was one of the men they had dealt with before, would be confirmed soon enough.

"Do you have everything I asked for?" John asks.

"Before I answer that, I need to know that Haley and Brooke are okay." He answers. He'd gone over and over in his head on how to prolong the conversation, talking to Haley first, and maybe even Brooke, seemed like the way to go.

"You're in no position to be calling the shots, boy. Do you have the money or not?" John asks, adding more persuasion to his tone of voice, which made the deformed sound louder and more intimidating.

"Let me talk to my wife first." He says again, trying his best to hold his own, because he knew what was at stake. He feared he was crossing the line, but at the same time he had to try to stall for as long as possible.

"Fine." The voice on the other end answers, much to Nathan's surprise. He had a feeling, giving that he gave in this easily, he was dealing with a rookie for these kinds of situations and he was already thinking up ways to use that to his advantage.

"Nathan?" Haley's voice sounded through the phone. Nathan didn't answer right away, too overcome with emotions. A part of him had been afraid he'd never hear her voice again. When she calls out again, it's enough to pull him from his musings and focus on the situation at hand.

"Haley, are you okay? Where are you? Did they hurt you?" He asks, worry overflowing in his voice. He reminds himself to keep calm and make sure to use his time speaking, though not too much time so it would become obvious that he was doing this deliberately.

"I'm okay." Haley answers, happy to hear her soon to be ex-husbands voice again. "They didn't hurt us much, we've mostly been kept inside a room. Is Jamie okay? Does he know about this?" She asks, hoping their son had been kept in the dark. She wasn't sure he should mention him, since John was very much listening, but it had been made clear before that he knew a whole lot about her life, so it should be understandable for a mother to want to know about her child.

"He's okay, he's safe. He has no idea what's going on, so don't worry about him." He answers, trying to ease the worries that he could hear through the sound of her voice. "Listen Haley, I'm gonna get you out, I promise. Just stay strong okay and do what they say." His timer was nearing the required time he needed to narrow down the area enough, so that phase of his plan seemed to be working. The longer they talk, the more precise he'd be able to look so he still needed to keep the line open. Unfortunately though, John took that moment to regain control of the conversation and get back to business.

"That's a good thing to say, boy. Be sure to follow your own advice and follow my precise instructions." Now, do you have the money?" His tone of voice was even louder this time, he seemed to be getting impatient, but it didn't stop Nathan from pushing his buttons again.

"What about Brooke? Is she okay? Can I talk to her?"

"The deal was to talk to Haley and only Haley. The exchange also only includes Haley, take it or leave it. Be at the dumpsters behind Tric at 3 a.m. Further instructions will follow." His patience had clearly ran out, as he loudly hung up the phone. It didn't bother Nathan as much since he had managed to narrow down the location to a 6 mile radius. According to Google maps, it wasn't much of a populated area, so with any luck he'd be able to track down the whereabouts of the men that took his beloved friends in a short amount of time. But first, he needed to get his things and prepare for the trade.

* * *

_HALEY & BROOKE_

After the phone call, the girls are brought back to their room. The trade would take place in less than an hour, so their time together wouldn't be long.

"Are you sure about the decision we made?" Haley asks, doubts still plaguing her mind.

"I'm sure Hales, if our plan doesn't work, it would be the best thing for us." Brooke answers, trying to reassure her girl. With any luck, it wouldn't matter what they decided since John and all his friends would be arrested, but they would have to wait and see how things actually play out.

They crawl together on the bed, just holding each other. In that moment, both girls wished that they could stay in each other's arms forever. After a few minutes passed, Haley turns in Brooke's arms and looks her straight in the eyes.

"Marry me."

Brooke looks at her in thought, probably wondering whether she was serious. She doesn't need to wonder for long since Haley has a lot more left to say.

"Marry me, Brooke. I have a strong hope inside me that the both of us are gonna be together when all of this is over. I've had that hope before, and it has lead me to your arms, so I need you to believe this too. When, not if but when we get out of here, I want us to get married. I wanna be tied to you in every way possible. Since the moment we both saw each other for who we really are, I've felt such a strong connection to you. We've been through so much together and I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife." She declares, causing tears to drop from both Brooke's and her eyes. "Marry me Brooke." She says for a third time.

Brooke just looks at her, with the most love filled gaze you could imagine. She's smiling as tears fall down her cheeks, understanding and feeling every single word of Haley's declaration. After clearing her throat and breaking away from her haziness, she's finally able to formulate a response.

"Yes!"

They both laugh and chuckle at that and they share a beautiful kiss. But the romance doesn't last much longer. Just then, John comes in and pulls Haley away from Brooke's embrace. They try to cling to each other, but John is too strong. BB comes in and holds Brooke so their hands are no longer able to touch one another. Brooke's tears are no longer happy ones, as she watches her fiancé being dragged away. She desperately clings to the hope that Haley was feeling, needing to believe that they will survive and they will be together, no matter what. After BB shook her a few times, she realizes he's talking to her. The importance of his part comes to mind, so she pulls herself together and focusses on the matter at hand.

"Brooke? You listening?" BB asks, after another shake.

"Yes, yes, sorry. I just …" Brooke answers, not sure what she was going to say.

"Okay, good. We'll be leaving in the next 5 to 10 minutes. I'll leave the door unlocked, so you're able to find a way out of here. Don't forget the phone and the map, you won't have much of a chance without them.

"So everything's still going according to plan? We have our window in the next 50 to 70 minutes?"

"Yes, we'll be gone for the next hour or so." He confirms. "Listen, I gotta go, we're breaking out Terry first and then we're headed to Nathan. Anything I need to know about him? He's not gonna try and do something stupid is he?" He asks, hoping there won't be any surprises waiting for them, but furthermore hoping they still trust him enough to tell him.

Brooke knows that Nathan wouldn't just roll over. He heard him asking about her on the phone, which made her think he was up to something. He also didn't use the words him and Haley always share when they need confirmation that it's them. But she decides he can take care of himself, she just really hopes he won't get himself killed.

"No. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize Haley's safety. Or mine" She adds as an afterthought. "I'm sure he'll just drop of the money and follow whatever instruction he's given."

Satisfied with that answer, BB turns away and walks out the room, closing the door behind him. He loudly fiddles with the lock, hopefully because he wants John to think he locked it. Brooke won't know for sure that it's locked until they're gone. It sure would be a whole lot easier if they still had the undercover cop on their side.

* * *

John put Haley in another dark room, no window in sight. She's struggling in his hold, but he's no match for her. In the room there's only two pieces of furniture, one chair in the middle and one cabinet to the side. Haley can't help but wonder if this is some kind of torture room, where they tie a person to the chair and use whatever tools are in the cabinet to get the person to talk. If those assumptions are right, she's really grateful that they didn't put Brooke through this, though the reason for that could easily be because they didn't want her to look any less beautiful than she is for those men that will be coming around tomorrow. When John puts her down on the chair roughly, she realizes it's time for her to play her part.

"What are you doing? I thought you were taking me to Nathan. What is this room? Are you gonna torture me now? I don't know anything! Please, just let me go! Let us go!"

A slap to the face quickly shuts her up, hoping she played her part right and their kidnapper was convinced she knew nothing about what was about to happen.

"Shut up, will you! We're not taking you to your precious Nathan, we were never going to do that in the first place. He just needs to believe that we will so he'll hand over the money. But don't worry, I'll keep my word, you'll be reunited with Brooke soon enough. I'm only splitting you up now, so that Terry doesn't find out about my plans."

That explanation throws Haley through a bit of a loop. _He's choosing them over his partner, or more likely his boss? Why would he do that?_

"You're telling me that you're actually defying your boss, just so we can be safe from those people smugglers? I don't get it, why would you do that?" Haley wonders.

"Those smugglers were never my idea, that's Terry's doing. The only reason I'm getting him out, is because if I didn't, he'd surely have somebody find me and kill me." Again Haley is having trouble processing this new information. _Guess he's not as bad a guy as we thought. He did kidnap us though, he's using that fact to get 15 million dollars and he made Brooke give up information about her company and the people that work for her. So he's not exactly a good guy either …_

"Brooke needs to believe you're gone, so that Terry'll believe it. I've got it all worked out, you just need to stay here and be quiet." With that, he ties her hands and feet to the chair, enabling her to move. He then pulls up a cloth, presumably to put in her mouth.

"You don't need that, I'll be quiet, I promise." She tries, already mumbled as she feels him holding it in front of her nose and mouth. She needs to be able to call out to Brooke later if they want things to go fast. It's then when she realizes she can smell chloroform on the cloth.

"Can't have you conscious right now I'm afraid, it's just easier this way." He says, though there's no one there to actually hear his words.

* * *

_JOHN & BB_

John is sitting in the passenger seat of a gray Mercedes. BB is sitting next to him, anxiously looking at the time. Neither of them have said anything in at least ten minutes. The transport truck should be here any minute now, with only the two man in the front between them and Terry. Both men needed things to go smoothly.

John was quite proud of himself for the story he told Haley. She believed him easily, which wasn't hard to believe since most of it was true, apart from the fact that he'd be sending them off into the sunset together. Truth is, he didn't want to deliver either of the girls to the smugglers, but he just didn't have a choice in the matter. The moment they break Terry out, he'll be the one calling the shots. He hasn't seen him show any kind of mercy yet, so he doubted he would start now. The reason he offered the girls an out, was because he wanted them to believe it was possible and have some hope before their lives are torn away from them. And maybe just a little bit to test their love for one another and see what they would decide.

Lights nearing it the distance have both men standing to attention. Both are in disguise, so neither should be recognized by the policemen. John goes out to hold the truck, when they stop, the plan will be put in action.

The men in the truck see him waving in the middle of the street with a light stick in his hands. They pull over and open a window so they can hear his explanation.

"Thanks so much for stopping, lads!" He says, in a heavy Australian accent. "I seem to have some car trouble and I was wondering if you'd give me a push."

"I'm sorry man!" The man in the passenger's seat answers. "We have an important transport in the back and we're on a tight schedule. But we'll call help for you and make sure you'll be able to travel in no time."

"You sure there's nothing you can do? I just need a little push, I won't keep you long."

"Sorry, no can do, we have specific orders to follow. We'll make sure help is coming though."

"All righty, I suppose I can wait a bit longer. Thanks for stopping, lads, really appreciate it."

"No problem, good luck!" The man says, while pulling up his window. Within seconds, they're back on the read, continuing on to their destination. John waves at them and shows them a fake smile, before he turns around to the hiding spot where BB and John are.

"Looks like it worked." He says happily, addressing Terry.

"Took you long enough." is all he says, as he heads over to their car, immediately taking the wheel. Before they take off, John tells him about the deal he's made with Nathan and with the people smugglers. After he's been informed about everything, they get back on the road. They have one last stop to make, before they can head over to Tric to get their money. After all, they need to make sure the trunk is empty for the amount of money they'll be loading it up with.

* * *

_BROOKE & HALEY_

The moment Brooke heard the car leave, she walked over to the door and tried to open it. Luckily, the door was unlocked. She opened it and took a look around, making sure everyone was gone. Letting a sigh of relieve escape at the sight of an empty house, she quickly went back inside the room to get the map and the phone that BB had given them. Now she needed to find Haley so they could make their escape. Unfortunately she wasn't sure which room she was in, so she would need to do some exploring.

The one thing she couldn't risk right now, was losing track of time. She glanced at the clock that said 02:23. She had studied the map together with Haley and they estimated the amount of time to get away from the house to somewhere they wouldn't be spotted to be at least 20 minutes. This gave her barely half an hour to find the room Haley is in and get the singer out of it.

* * *

_NATHAN_

Nathan is sitting in his car, waiting impatiently for the kidnappers to show themselves. The meet isn't for another fifteen minutes, but he couldn't wait at home any longer.

On the seat next to him is a bag filled with money. The bag has a small label on the inside that hides a very small tracking device. If they search for it with proper equipment, they might find it, but he's hoping they won't actually think he'd have the brains or the balls to do that.

Along with the bag, there's also a gun, a phone and a Taser. The phone is untraceable with the first speed dial set to 911. It's also linked to the tracking device in the bag, so that he'll be able to follow its position closely. The Taser is for when he needs to get information from someone. It won't kill them, but will make it possible for him to tie someone up and question them. The gun is a last resort. He hopes he won't have to use it, but there's no doubt in his mind that he won't pull that trigger if it were to come to that.

As he goes through the number of scenarios that might unfold when the clock strikes 3, he sends out a prayer. He's not exactly religious, but through his past predicaments he's found that hoping for something more powerful then himself to help him, could actually help in making it to the other side. He kisses the picture where he's standing next to Haley who's holding their son, all of them smiling like the beautiful family they were, and sends out a text to the one person he knows, no matter what, would have his back. With only 7 minutes left before the trade is to take place, he walks out of his car and heads out back, to the dumpsters. The moneybag is in his hands, the gun and Taser safely tucked away.

* * *

_JOHN, TERRY & BB_

Just a few minutes after 3 a.m., another car pulls up at Tric. The three men notice the empty car already there, and decide to head out back so they can get this over with.

Terry stays behind the wheel so that they can take off the moment the deal is done. He reluctantly agreed to let John handle the exchange since it's in their best interest to keep the news of his escape quiet as long as possible. It was also so John could proof to Terry that he's capable enough to be his second hand. BB follows John to the spot behind the building, but remains out of sight, so he can provide back up, should things go sour.

"You got the money?" John asks, not wanting to waste any more time.

Nathan turns around and notices the tall guy, using glasses and a hat to remain unrecognizable.

"It's all in here." Nathan answers, holding up the heavy bag that contains the money. "Now give me back my wife."

"Hehe, don't you mean ex-wife?" John laughs, being a bit impressed with how much the man still seemed to be dedicated to his former wife. "Just hand over the money, boy. And I promise you'll be meeting up with her soon enough."

"I don't trust you, so you better show me she's still alive! You're not getting any money until you do!" Nathan angrily shoots back. He's having difficulty keeping his cool, there's no way to know the man is gonna keep his word, he holds all the power. But he will make sure he realizes that if he doesn't hold his end of the bargain, he's not gonna sit back and take it. His plan is already in motion, he just hopes they'll be able to get to Brooke in time.

"You're right not to trust me, but I'm afraid you don't have a choice." He pulls an envelope and a phone from the inside of his jacket. After pushing a few buttons he shows Nathan a video of Haley sitting unconscious in a chair. There's a candle held before her mouth to show that she's still breathing. "That proof enough for ya?" He asks. After a short nod from Nathan, he brings up the envelope. "In here are the instructions you need to get to your wife. I will give this to you as you give me the money. That's how this works. However, you're not allowed to leave until I've made sure the total amount is in here. If you do take off, my partner will put a bullet through your head. Since he's a cop, you can be sure that his aim is rather precise. It will also ensure that your wife won't see another sun rise again, so I suggest you remain calm for a little while longer."

Nathan finally relents and gives a short nod to indicate he'll do as told.

"Now, hand over the money."

Nathan approaches the man with the bag in his right hand. He reaches out his left, so that he can take the envelope in return. Just a few seconds later, they've exchanged their packages. While John is busy counting the money, Nathan rips open the envelope so he'll know where to drive. After a few minutes, John looks up. The smile on his face is wider than before, but his eyes show he isn't done playing yet.

"Looks like it's all here, thank you very much." He smirks. When Nathan makes his move to leave, he raises his hand. "Before you go, I do have one question." He doesn't wait for permission and voices what he's been thinking about for a while now. "I had some digging done on your lives, turns out you've actually slept with both of them. Ever wondered how they ended up sleeping with each other, with you left standing on the sidelines?"

Nathan just gives him an evil glare, balling his hands into fists, trying to retain his anger.

"Can I go now?" He asks through gritted teeth, having a strong urge to hit the guy right in the face, but thankfully finding the strength not to.

"I guess it was just the kind of thing that's inevitable." He continues, ignoring his question. "I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with you not living up to standards or anything."

The hurt look that passes Nathan's face was exactly what he was hoping for. He wanted to stir the fire just a little bit more, so he added one last thing.

"You are good for something I guess, it's a good thing you can provide the money they need to be free again, even if it is to start a life without you." He leans in closer to Nathan, whispering in his ear. "I heard Haley asked her to marry her. And she said yes."

Having said those words, John turns around and leaves Nathan to his thoughts. It might have been a bit cruel to give that last bit of information, but really he was helping him. He figured it'd be much easier to let her go if he was mad at her, so really, he did him a favor.

* * *

_BROOKE_

Brooke had spent the last fifteen minutes opening every door that crossed her path. Turns out there were a lot of rooms in the house, and she hadn't even gone upstairs yet. Her instincts told her that she was probably downstairs, but she was starting to doubt those instincts.

As she turns another corner, her eyes fall on a door with several bolts and chains on the outside. Thinking she's finally found her fiancé, she runs over to the door and start unlocking it while loudly screaming Haley's name. When there's no answer, she starts unlocking the bolts even faster. When she's finally finished, she pushes open the door, but there's no one inside. She can feel the hope fading. She glances over to the clock that she brought with her from the living room. It's already 2:42 a.m. She really couldn't afford to lose any more time. She takes a second to consider going upstairs and trying her luck there when she hears a crash coming from a nearby room.

"Haley? Haley, is that you?" She calls out loudly, praying to anyone who's listening that she's found her woman and they can finally get out of this place. "Use anything you have to make noise, I'm right outside, I just don't know which room you're in."

A tapping sound is made, coming from one of the rooms on her left. She listens carefully at each door, 'till she finds the one where to sound is the loudest. The door is locked, but she's successfully broken into a few rooms just minutes earlier and she's sure as hell not gonna let some wooden planks stop her now. She only hopes that the person behind that door, is someone she wants to find.

* * *

_NATHAN_

The words kept sounding in Nathan's head, as he makes his way to the address in the envelope. He knew he was just trying to mess with him, but he hadn't thought it would hit him this hard. All the insecurities he'd been feeling since he found out about Brooke and Haley came back to haunt him. He never asked whether it was his fault or that he could've done something better. He felt like he didn't really put up a fight. But he could tell, from the look in her eyes, that it was real. After all, he'd been on the receiving end of that look before, only then it was out of love for him. Who was he to stand in the way of happiness for two of the most important people in his life?

However, the fact that they are engaged before the divorce is even finalized, doesn't quite sit right with him. It might not be true, he could've said it just to piss him of. But part of him knew that it could actually be the truth. And that hurt, more than he thought it would.

As he pulled up at the house, he pushed all his bad thoughts aside, and refocused on finding the girls, saving them and kicking some ass. It wasn't a large house, just a ground floor it seemed with a rundown garden surrounding it. He went to open the door and found it unlocked. He went inside, quickly and quietly, not wanting to alarm anybody in case it was a trap. When he entered the living room he saw a small brunette, tied to a chair. The back of the chair was faced towards him, so there was no telling it was actually Haley on that chair. When he notices the woman's head leaning forward, a terrible fear washes over him, thinking the worst has happened. He rushes over and slides on his knees before the unconscious woman.

"Haley? Haley?" He asks, shaking her shoulders, trying to get a reaction. She lets out a small huff, easing Nathan's worries a bit, until he lifts up the scarf that was hiding her face and he finds himself locked with blue eyes instead of brown.

* * *

_BROOKE_

She wedges open the door with a tool she found a few doors back and finds her soon to be wife tied to a fallen over chair, tapping her foot to a small cabinet.

"Haley, thank God!" She calls out and rushes over to the brunette. She uses the knife she found in the kitchen to cut the ropes and removes the blindfold and cloth that prevented her from calling out.

"You okay?" Brooke asks, holding her tight in her arms.

"I'm fine, I've been trying to loosen these ropes ever since I woke up.""

"When you woke up? They drugged you?"

"I didn't realize until I smelled the chloroform. For a second, I thought that I'd lost you and they were gonna take me somewhere else. I woke up, hearing you call out for me. I didn't know what else to do than drop the chair so you'd hear me."

"That was some great thinking, babe." She says, huge smile on her face for finally having found her girl. They enjoyed the moment for a second longer before they both realized they needed to get moving.

"You have everything?" Haley asks, noticing the map on the ground in the hallway.

"Yes, I have the map and the phone. I also found these," she says, showing the knife and wedging tool. "And I came across a room that actually has windows. They seemed to face the trees we were hoping to get to, so I thought maybe we could climb through. I haven't checked that they can open yet though."

"Sounds perfect, let's go check on that. We'll find another room or a backdoor somewhere, in case it doesn't work."

* * *

_JOHN, TERRY & BB_

With the money safely in the trunk, the men headed back home. Everything went the way they wanted it to. Now all they had to do was wait for a call to finally rid themselves of the brunettes.

"You did a nice job back there, Johnny." Terry says, looking over to his new partner in crime rather than his apprentice. "You took control of the situation, got even with those chicks and got me out of jail. Add to that the fact that we've got 15 mill in the back and some more coming to us tomorrow, I'd say we're on our way to the good life."

John looks over to Terry with a smile on his face. He never thought he'd be hearing those words out of his mouth. Maybe he would stick around after all, now that they were on a more even ground, things would be easier and he'd be taking on more responsibilities.

Pulling up to the house, they're unaware of the eyes following their every move. The tables are slowly turning, but the end result is still left unpredictable.

"Why don't you take me to see that bitch? I'd love to spend a bit more time with her before we hand her over to our friends." Terry says, already imagining all the things he could do.

"Sure thing, boss," John says. "Right this way."

They walk over to the room. John takes the keys of the hook and walks over to unlock the door. When he turns the key however, he finds it to be already unlocked. Trying not to let it show, he pushes the door open, hoping to see anything but what he was greeted with, an empty room.

* * *

_BROOKE & HALEY_

Just outside, Brooke and Haley are hiding in the trees. They had only just gotten out of sight, when the car pulled up. They would be discovering their absence in mere minutes, so they needed to get a move on.

"How long do you think it'll be before they realize we're gone?" Brooke wonders, relieved to have reached the trees ion time but worried about what will happen next.

"Not too long probably. I just hope they don't kill BB. If it wasn't for him, we might not have made it out." Haley answers, counting her blessings for still having him on their side.

"He could've told me which room you were in, that would've made things a whole lot easier." She states. They can't dwell on that though, she thinks to herself.

"Look, we really need to start moving. We might not be in the house anymore, but we're still far from safe. BB's a cop, I'm sure he'll be able to handle himself. When they find I'm missing, they're gonna head out and find us. According to the map, we need to be heading south, so let's go from there. Keep an eye on the phone, the moment there's enough reception, we need to call the police."

Haley nods, takes a hold of Brooke's hand and they start heading south. Because of the dense growth of the trees, the only light they have, is coming from the moon. Ten minutes later, Brooke sees a small light moving closer. Thinking they're already out searching for them, she grabs Haley, puts a hand over her mouth and they hide behind a tree. Brooke gives the knife over to Haley, who takes a good hold of it, while she grabs hold of the wedging tool with two hands, both ready to defend themselves. Just as she's about to hit the person over the head, Haley stops her.

"Lucas?"

* * *

Hi everyone :).

It's been too long I know, I've been working on this chapter for a while now and I never seemed to be satisfied. Given that this is one of the last 3 or 4 chapters, it's probably because I want to make the ending as good as it can be. I'm still sticking to the deadline, on 22nd of July I want this fic to be finished! I have a pretty good idea what's gonna happen next and I'll be continuing my writing the first chance I get. Let me know what you all think! I hope it wasn't all too predictable :p. Next update will be coming soon! For the Faberry fans, I've got parts of the next 3 chapters for Touch of Your Hand written, so as soon as this one's finished I'll be updating that as well! The next chapter will clear up a few questions that might have risen in this one, if there are any particular ones you want answered, maybe some I haven't even thought of, let me know!

Until next time (very very soon this time :D)

Lucy


	32. This is how it goes down

A/N: Sorry for the mistakes in the last chapter. Seems I accidentally enabled track changes which showed the right version in Word but the changes weren't shown when I uploaded it. That's been corrected now though. On with the story!

Chapter 32 - This is how it goes down

Brooke's POV

I've never been so afraid in my entire life. I've sat at the bedside of too many of my friends over the past years, but to have Haley lying there so helplessly … Her left foot was bandaged and hung up in the air, there was a huge bandage around her abdomen where she was shot, she was covered in bruises and scratches that I felt responsible for. Above all that, she was hooked up to countless machines, the beeping sounds making me nervous every time it didn't sound the same as it did a second ago.

She had been breathing on her own for a little while now, but she still wasn't out of the woods. The thought that she could still die because of what happened, made me tremble inside. I just can't image my life without her! It should be me in that bed, not Hales. She was so brave, she saved my life just like she did all those months ago, just by allowing us to happen. Others might not see it, but I know she's the strong one. I need to rely on that strength and trust that she'll make it through. I never thought she'd take a bullet for me, yet here we were. I shouldn't be surprised that she did though, after all, I would've done the same thing.

"Brooke? There's some people here who want to see you. Would you like them to come in?" The nurse asks me. I can tell she's being cautious around me, but I don't blame her, I know how much of a wreck I am right now.

"Sure." I tell her. The sound of my voice scares me, so broken and filled with pain. It's the way my heart feels right now.

"Hey Brooke." There's a voice I haven't heard for a while, I think to myself as I look over.

"Peyton, I'm glad you're here." I tell her, just as she pulls me close and engulfs me in the kind of hug she knows I need right now. I let myself go in the comfort she offers me, but I manage to keep one hand locked with one of Haley's. Peyton hadn't witnessed the love I have for Haley, but I know she knows even though I never spelled it out. She's always been able to read me and to understand underlying feelings and meanings in my words. Somewhere in the conversations we've had over the phone, something probably clicked. I was rather glad about that, I knew I didn't have it in me right now to pretend I don't feel for her a much as I do.

"How is she?" I hear Lucas ask. I look up from Peyton's embrace and find the room filled with people. Aside from Peyton and Lucas there's Karen and Andy, Mouth, Skillz, Quinn and Clay. Since both Nathan and Jamie aren't around, I'm guessing they're together. I can't imagine how hard it must be to tell that boy his mum is fighting for her life right now.

Lost in thought, I didn't realize I've been asked a question. Luckily the nurse is still around and is able to fill them in way better than I had been able to.

"Haley is doing great right now. The bullet didn't hit any major arteries, though there was sufficient blood loss for her to lose consciousness. Given that she's been in a stress filled situation the last few days, was slightly underfed and suffered a fair few bruises, her body went into shock because of the trauma. She made in to the hospital in time though and surgery went well, we have every reason to believe she'll make a full recovery, however the next 48 hours will be crucial." She explains, happy to have given a sense of relieve to the people in the room, though remaining realistic since everybody heals differently. She tabs my shoulder on her way out and sends a light smile my way. I smile back gratefully before turning to face my fiancé once more.

"So, what happened?" Karen asks, but I'm sure that's what everyone was wondering, apart from Lucas who had been there the entire time. I'm sure he feels almost as guilty as I do, for not having been able to prevent this from happening. My mind drifts back to when we first encountered him and the relieve it gave us to see someone we've been able to count on through so many occasions. Unfortunately, even he couldn't have prevented the things that happened mere minutes later.

_6 hours ago_

"_Lucas! What are you doing here?" Haley asks while throwing her arms around him. I too couldn't believe he was here. I was happy to have someone here that could help us get out of here, but at the same time it meant one more person involved in this drama, one more person that we care about that could get hurt._

"_Nathan called, he explained what was happening so I came to help." He starts to explain, keeping his voice low and keeping it as short and simple as possible." When you were on the phone with him earlier, he was using something Mouth gave him to track down your location. He had to meet with them first, so I came here instead. The car is back that way." He says while pointing in the direction he came from. "We need to hurry, they arrived a few minutes ago and it won't take them long to realize you're gone."_

_Nothing more needed to be said, as I grabbed Haley's hand again and we followed him through the woods. He was going at a far faster pace than either Haley or I could handle though._

"_Luke, could you hang on for a sec? We've barely drank or eaten the last few days, so we don't have the energy to go this fast."_

"_I'm sorry, but I need you both to push through!" He tells us, his motivational side coming through. "Every second we lose, is a second they gain. We need to reach my car before they do. We have the advantage right now, so let's try to keep it that way."_

_I look over at Haley, leaning against a tree the moment we stopped moving. I know she's tired and hurting, but the determined look on her face tells me she's ready to keep going. I give her hand a squeeze and we push ourselves once more, with one clear goal in mind: home._

* * *

_Suddenly I heard a branch break behind me and the hand I was holding fell from my grasp. I turn around and see Haley lying on the ground. I immediately crouch down._

"_Baby, are you okay?" I ask, inspecting her body to find any trace of injury._

"_I'm fine, I just tripped." She tells me, reaching for my hand so I can pull her up. When she puts her weight on her left foot, she cries out in pain. I hurriedly hold my hand to her mouth to decrease the noise, but there's no way of telling that I was fast enough. She looks at me with scared eyes, realizing what she could've done._

"_Hales, Brooke, over here." I hear Lucas call to us. He's climbed up a tree, obviously expecting us to do the same thing. It makes sense, since we'll be able to hide and see whether they heard, but at the same time, it won't be easy to climb up there._

_As we hobble over to the tree, Haley leaning on me for support, the hairs in my neck suddenly stand tall. I look up to find Lucas out of sight, probably realizing they've been caught as well._

"_Well, well, look what we have here."_

_I remember that voice all too well, and I hate the fear it causes inside of me. I turn around slowly, holding Haley close to me, both for support and out of protection. The response I had ready to fire at Terry dies in my mouth when I notice there's a total of three guns pointing at us. There's no way for us to run, even if there was, Haley wouldn't be able to follow. It's no use pissing them of right now, it would only make things worse. _

"_Not just one, but two bitches that I've wanted to get rid of for quite some time now." I see him glancing at John, who's obviously none too happy with having been caught in a lie. "I wonder, how is it you managed to escape the house? Both your rooms would've been locked tied, right boys?" He asks, obviously to show everyone who is boss._

"_I swear I locked the room where Brooke was at, boss." BB starts. I know he didn't so I'm curious to see what story he made up and whether they'll believe it. "I can't say the same for the other one though."_

"_That's bull and you know it!" John immediately goes defensive. "Haley was unconscious and tied to a chair, even if I didn't lock the door, which I did, there's no way she could've gotten out of there."_

"_That's enough." Terry yells, leaving both men to swallow any words they had left. A million thoughts were running through my mind, trying to come up with a way to keep the attention on the other two so it wouldn't return to us._

"_I'll deal with whoever was in the wrong later, right now, let's just get these bitches back to the house. I'm sure you both can handle that, because they obviously don't have the energy to fight back right now."_

_I more than knew he was right, so I let them take us back to the house. Things weren't like before though, our chances had improved. Not only was Lucas here, but I was convinced his brother would be very close by now too._

* * *

_Somewhere along the way, Haley started limping even more to the point where I could barely hold her up. BB walks over and went to grab Haley so he could carry her. I didn't trust him, I'm not sure I ever did, so I pushed him away, not wanting his hands anywhere near my girl._

"_Keep your hands off her!" I yelled, even though I knew that it would save us both some strength, I didn't want him near her when she was this fragile._

"_It's obvious you can't carry her and if she keeps walking, it's only a matter of time before she falls again and maybe actually breaks something. You wanna take that risk?"_

_He was right, there was no denying it. As I looked into his eyes, I saw him trying to show me that I could trust him, but I didn't know anymore._

"_Brooke, it's okay." Haley pleaded with me, making me think that she did still trust him. "It will save us both some strength."_

_There was no reason to fight logic, especially coming from the smartest person I know, so I hand her over to BB who carries her easily towards the end of the woods. It's hard for me to keep up, seeing how carrying Haley this far took away almost all the strength I had left. I knew Terry and John were right behind me, so I pushed through, trying my best not to fall in the process, which wasn't as easy as I had hoped._

_I was relieved when a hand suddenly grabbed me by the arm as well. John was obviously doing it to prevent things to get worse, but the truth was I didn't have the strength in me to run away. I wasn't even sure I'd been able the reach the door. I just hoped I'd be able to gather enough strength by the time the brothers Scott would no doubt come to the rescue._

* * *

_Haley's POV_

_I had never felt so weak in my life and that's saying something when you've had the experience of delivering a baby. As BB carried me to the house, he whispered to me._

"_Listen Hales, I'm sorry it didn't work. The first chance I get, I'll have the police come in, but they've been watching me like a hawk. I'll keep you and Brooke as safe as I can, I promise."_

_I nodded, glad to seemingly still have him on our side. He brought me to our room, which I had hoped to never return to and laid me on the bed. My ankle was very swollen by now and it was throbbing like crazy._

"_You still have the phone?" He asks so quietly I could barely hear what he was saying. I nod and take it out of my pocket. He smiles at me, takes the phone and hides it away in his pocket. I wasn't sure why he did this, maybe so the others wouldn't find the phone, maybe so he could use it. Before I could ponder it further, the others entered the house as well. They shoved Brooke into our room, and she rushed over to my side immediately. I welcome the embrace for as long as it lasts, because it was clear they weren't just gonna lock us in here and let the time pass anymore._

"_Tie them up." I heard Terry order, throwing two sets of ropes at the two men in the room. BB came to my side and rolled me over so that he could grab my hands behind my back. He did it a tat roughly, not wanting to seem like he was going easy on me, I'm sure. John didn't pretend, he pulled Brooke of the bed and slammed her into the wall. I heard her let out a grunt of pain, but I couldn't do anything about it. I could tell that Brooke didn't have much energy left to fight with either and I was to blame. It's my fault I fell and she had to carry me. It's my fault they found us in the first place._

"_Bring them in here." Another order came from outside the room. They grabbed us by the arm and dragged us over to the living room. There were two chairs facing each other and they placed each of us on one of them._

"_Before I start preparing you for your next adventure, I feel the need to explain a few other things." He started off. I could tell he wasn't happy with any one of us, prisoner or not._

"_I know you're both scared and want to get out of here, hence the failed escape attempt. I also know that one of these fools helped you in this attempt, though I'm not quite sure who it was and whether or not it was deliberate."_

_When Terry saw John tried to argue his case again, he silenced him with a pointed finger and an intense stair._

"_I don't care what you have to say John, just sit back and listen."_

_He immediately did what he was told, obviously not wanting to defy or anger his boss any more than he already had._

"_As a sign of goodwill, I want to explain to you both first why everything that happened the past few days, happened. All you two know is that Brooke revealed some information about people that work for her company, that Nathan paid 15 million dollars to get Haley back and that there are some friends of mine willing to pay a lot of money for the both of you._

_First off, the information Brooke was so kind to give us mostly contained of names for aspiring models. As you probably know Brooke, these are very fragile women. They want to be told they look beautiful and look for acceptance in everything they do. This makes them the perfect candidates for the club a friend of mine is opening. They'll all be approached for a modeling job, asked how much skin they'd be willing to show and whether they can dance. The chosen few will end up working for my buddy, getting appreciation every single night through dollar bills put in their underwear."_

_I could see the tears coming down Brooke's face. She must feel so guilty for being the one to give up that information. I wanted nothing more than to hold her and comfort her, but I couldn't. I try to remain focused on what Terry was saying, not just because I might need to repeat it to the police, but also because I needed to know why all this happened._

"_I'm sure you've both been wondering what went down with Nathan." He states, moving on to the next part he was wanting to reveal._

_It surprised me that I hadn't really thought about what happened at the exchange. For all I know, he could've resisted and they could've shot him. Come to think of it, with Terry back in the mix, they might not even need that excuse. As I felt the fear of losing someone who has been with me for so long, I couldn't help but ask._

"_Is he okay? What happened? He gave you the money, right?"_

_The brute had the nerve to start laughing at that. I know he sees me as a fragile little girl that needs a man to safe her, but he couldn't be more wrong. I fell for Nathan because I got to see his fragile side when he was with me. He allowed me to have strength for the both of us. With Brooke, I knew what she had been through and I saw her strength reflected in her eyes. But just like Nathan, she allowed me to be strong for her as well as myself. She might have taken kick box lessons, but when pushed, I can do just as much damage._

"_Your boy is fine, as far as I know. He's either mourning your death or the loss of all that money, I'm sure."_

_The answer struck me as weird, Brooke looked up as well, with confusion in her eyes. Terry knew just which words to use as he continued._

"_See, along with the envelope containing the address where you were supposedly to be found, my man here also delivered him some good news. Though, from what he told me, he didn't really find you two getting married that good a news."_

_I couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth. He had the audacity to tell Nathan I asked Brooke to marry me. At that point, all the kind things I had thought about John, everything I had come up with to justify his behavior, was gone. All that was left was a huge question mark, wondering what it was that made him want to hurt people so badly. The anger inside me, refueled my energy. I wish Lucas and Nate were there to safe us already, because I didn't know how much longer I could take it. Terry of course didn't realize, or didn't care enough to realize, the anger I was feeling and happily continued baring their plans._

"_So Nathan has probably figured out that it wasn't Haley in the house and is now battling his loyalty to you both. There's no chance in him finding us regardless, since we're not easy to find and won't be here for much longer, so I guess he'll just have to live life without the two of you, since you won't be able to find him either once we hand you over tomorrow."_

_This time, his words gave me hope. He was wrong, he does know where we are and together with Lucas, he was gonna save us._

"_The men I promised you to, are the same ones I promised you to last time. They provide women to wealthy men in Asia and Europe and they have two interested parties who named you two specifically. I suppose that's what you get when you're company goes global or your music is listened to in other continents."_

_Brooke's POV_

_So that was it, the whole story. Some rich ass hole on the other side of the world saw our pictures and wanted to have us as their property. Everything else they did was so they could earn some extra money in the process. This just goes to show how little we know about the things that go on all over the world. I mean, we know it's possible, we just mostly ignore it and count our blessings that we're not dragged into that dark world. Just our luck to have these guys like the way we look and be capable of offering a great deal of money to have us at their side. It was never going to happen though, not to me and especially not to Haley._

_My eyes automatically find the person in this world I gave my heart to. Tears are falling from her eyes, though mine stopped a few moments before. I know she hates that Nathan knows, it was never her intention for him to find out like this. In case we don't get out of this, it would mean that his thoughts of us are tainted, like he didn't mean anything to us while he'd do anything in his power to keep up safe. But he did mean a lot to us, to me as well as Haley. We've talked about it before, around the time we decided to tell him about us. Haley told me that he had been the perfect husband and an incredible father, but that something seemed to be missing. It's no lie that she didn't have any experience with love and relationships when they first started. She had her parents as an example and thought she had found the same thing. She loved him, she always had and always would and doesn't regret anything about them. She just didn't know that there was something missing until she realized what else she could have._

_It was different for me. I was known as a slut all through high school, being promiscuous any chance I got. But I was simply hiding. The example I got was two parents who were barely around and when they were, all they could do was fight. I wanted to feel wanted, like they needed it to be me at their side, like once they saw and felt what it was like with me, they wouldn't want anyone else. Unfortunately, no one ever saw it that way. There were some good ones along the way, but either the situation wasn't right or something was found to be missing. Until that faithful day when those special brownies made me open my eyes and be brave for a change and go after what I really wanted. Never had I expected to come across a love so deep and powerful like the one I share with Haley. Being so consumed in my thoughts, I didn't realize what was going on around me, until my gaze at Haley was broken because Terry's giant head took over my view._

"_I can tell you really love her and I can tell she really love you. You better soak up the view for as long as you have it, because you won't be sharing rooms no more."_

_Just than a phone starts ringing. Terry glances over to John who answered it right away._

"_It's for you, boss." He announces, handing the phone over to Terry. He takes it from his hands, but before he leaves the room he holds one of his hands on the receiver so the person on the other end doesn't hear him._

"_Don't untie them, don't move them. Just keep them like they are and make sure they don't make any noises. If they act out, you know how to handle them." He instructs the men, obviously not feeling too confident in their abilities, even if all they need to do is keep the situation as is._

_The men both nod but as soon as he's out of hearing distance John walks over to BB._

"_I know you didn't lock that door, because I know that I locked mine. So tell me, whose side are you on?"_

"_Chill out man, I'm on your side, you know that. I'm a lot more on your side than he is by the looks of things. You're really gonna let him do this? Hand them over to those men? Who knows where they'll end up?"_

"_That's not our concern. This is the job and we'll stick to it. It's the only way to restore our reputation and get the money we need to get out of here."_

"_Right answer." Terry says as he walks back into the room, smug smile in place. He doesn't seem to be too concerned about the discussion and just walks on over like he owns the room, which he does._

"_The plan has changed, our first deal has been moved up. BB, grab Haley and put her back in her room. Make sure there's absolutely no way for her to get out this time. Brooke can stay here since I've got a few rules I need to go through with her before we leave."_

_Before I fully realize what it all means, I see Haley being dragged away again, fear clear in her eyes. John is still standing proudly at the side and watches it all go down. Haley is fighting hard to stay where she is. She screaming and kicking around, trying to free herself from BB's grasp. When I see Terry walking over to me, loosening his belt so he can hold it in his left hand while the other reaches for his fly, I fear the worst is going to happen. I try to move away from the chair, but John pulls me back down. I struggle as he holds me tighter, until Terry slaps me in my face._

"_First tip, the less you struggle, the less it'll hurt."_

_At this point his trousers are on the floor and he starts working on my blouse. He only gets to the second button when there's a different set of noise coming from behind him. I can see Haley getting out of BB's grip, intentional or not, I don't know. This causes both the apprentices to run after her until John loudly yells "STOP!"_

_At this point, there's a gun pointed at my head. I'm frozen in my seat and all I see, all I feel, all I think about, is that gun._

"_If she wants to stay and watch, let her." He tells them. Once more, he starts unbuttoning my blouse, a bulge already forming in his pants. I can't find it in me to look over at Haley, not wanting her to see the fear in my eyes. I flinch when I feel a hand on my shoulder, but feel relieve when it's apparently BB under the guise of wanting me to keep still. What the others don't realize though, is that he loosens my ropes, enabling me to free my hands, a clear sign that the end is near and he's going to fight on our side._

_Haley's POV_

_I had never felt so much anger before in my life. Watching Terry and John manhandling Brooke, caused me to use every strength I had to get out of BB's grasp. I didn't know if he wasn't trying hard enough to hold me down or whether I actually managed to free myself, but all of a sudden I was running around, trying to find something to fight them with. When I heard John loudly yelling stop, I couldn't help but look over and froze the moment I did, enabling John to capture me once more._

_The gun that was pointed at her, had my tears falling down again. A part of me thought they wouldn't kill us, 'cause there's too much money at stake. But on the other hand, this wasn't just one deal. Like Terry explained before, there were three. They probably had enough money already to disappear and never be found again._

_Hearing the words out of Terry's mouth and watching the way he had undressed himself and began undressing Brooke, told me to come up with a plan. Lucas and Nathan were out there, no doubt. BB also had their phone, so with any luck he was able to contact his colleagues by now. With no alternative but to give them every reason they needed to storm in here, I decided I needed to take a risk in order for Brooke to be spared another horrible experience and for them both to stand a chance of getting out of here alive._

* * *

_With BB at Brooke's side and Terry focused on his eagerness and lust to take advantage, I stamped on John's foot really hard, punched him in the gut, put my knee to his groin and added another kick to his face when he fell down beside me. Needing to move quickly, I stormed over to Terry, to the gun he had laid on the table on his side while he was removing clothing. Just as I reached it, he turned around and grabbed it as well. As we struggled, I tried to use my smaller stature as an advantage, but found him to be much smarter and stealthier than I had hoped. In a last effort attempt, I grabbed the pistol and moved my fingers to the trigger. The gun when off, though seemingly didn't do harm to anyone. Because of the power behind it and the sweatiness of my palms, I failed to hold the grasp I had on the weapon. The noise was enough though, that was the main goal. I went to grab the gun again, but was too late this time. I tried to turn away, to get out of its reach but I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. The last thing I saw was BB taking over the fight I had just lost. The sounds around me grew dimmer and everything around me became less and less sharp in my eyes. I felt Brooke's hand in mine, just before everything went black._

* * *

All good things come to an end … I'll be wrapping this fic up later today or tomorrow and maybe add an epilogue tomorrow. There's a small chance I'll write a sequel, but I make no promises and don't want to get anyone's hopes up. However, I strongly believe this isn't my last time delving in this pairing :p. I'm well aware there are a few holes in the story, partly to blame on the amount of time that sometimes passed between two updates. I've started the fic again on archiveofourown (also under Lucy212) and will be making some adjustments along the way. When it's all finished, I'll probably edit it on here as well. Let me know what you thought of chapter 32, whether you want a sequel or not and whether there are some things you'd like me to address before I wrap this up :D.

Next (last) update will be in the next 24 hours!

Lucy


	33. The end

Chapter 33

_3 weeks later_

"Is everything ready?" Brooke asks for the 5th time.

"Yes, yes, everything is ready." Peyton assures her. "Quite worrying so much, you're making me nervous."

"I'm sorry, it's just … So much has happened since we were both here and I just want everything to perfect so we can focus on all the good things. I'm so glad she's coming home." She states, eager to have her fiancé back into their home again.

"Jamie and Nathan are picking them up right?" The blonde asks.

"Actually no." Brooke answers. "That was the original plan, but there was something Haley needed to talk to Nathan about first. So now the plan is that Nathan picks up Haley, they go over to Nathan's place so they can hang out just the three of them and after that they'd come here. They'll probably arrive in about … " She trails off, as she looks at the clock. "Twenty minutes."

Peyton is tempted to ask for more, but knowing Brooke, she'd probably elaborate when the time is right. She assumed this conversation might be another part of why she was so nervous, so she decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

"So, have you filled everyone in on the actual meaning of your relationship with Haley? I mean, I was able to read between the lines, but I saw some of the confused looks on everyone's faces when Haley woke up and wouldn't stop asking about you. Not really something they were expecting, since they all assumed you're just friends, I mean why wouldn't you be?"

"Will you stop guilt tripping me?" She asks slightly frustrated, having heard the same speech over and over again the past few weeks. "I know I should have told you, okay! But like I said, a thousand times before, I couldn't do it over the phone. When exactly should I have told you any way? At first nobody knew, not even Nathan. We were sneaking around and lying to everyone, but at the same time we were falling in love. There was also the whole adventure in the woods that had us scared to death and we kinda ended up in that situation because Haley's sister found out and didn't exactly like it. After that we figured we couldn't hold it off any longer and decided to tell Nathan. He was angry at first, but luckily he came around and saw that we didn't mean to hurt him and it was all very real. The day they told Jamie they were getting a divorce was the same day that John kidnapped us. They hadn't even told him the truth about me and Haley yet."

"Okay, okay, I get it." Peyton answers, feeling slightly guilty for having Brooke name the many highs and lows on the rollercoaster ride that had been their relationship until now. "I didn't mean to upset you, I just wish you would've told me." Peyton says, this time not making it sound as much as an accusation.

"I know." Brooke answers, understanding exactly where she was coming from. They had been best friends forever and there was nothing they couldn't tell each other. Sure, there have been some times where they barely spoke because of a fight they were having, which were mostly about Lucas. But in the end, they always knew how much they meant to each other and that they had each other's backs. The bond is still there, they'll never lose that, but because their lives are so far apart now, they don't know the day-to-day anymore like they used to.

"Just promise me, when the next big change in your life is happening, you'll make sure to fill me in on time. You should've seen the look on Karen's face when she found you two spooning in the hospital bed, it was hilarious!" She tells her, cracking a huge smile as she recalls the memory.

"Please don't remind me! A few hours later she took me aside and made me swear I had good intentions. Thank God Nathan is on our side for this, 'cause if it wasn't for him, everyone would be labelling me as home wrecker."

"Well, you kinda are." Peyton states, a smile on her face indicating that she was kidding, but wasn't really. All Brooke could do was frown. "Don't worry, okay, they've all come around. It's kinda obvious that you two love each other, the way you always keep an eye on each other when you're in the same room and how you're always touching if you're close enough. It's kinda disgusting."

Before Brooke can respond, the doorbell rings. This immediately makes her forget the discussion she was having with her BFF and makes the worries from before resurface. It's then when she realizes that Peyton had actually been keeping her busy, preventing her from worrying about what was happening next, despite not knowing the extend of it. This makes her both happy and sad, happy to know that her friend still knew her this well despite the distance that was now between them, and sad because she now feels even more guilty for not having told her about her and Haley in the first place.

_An hour earlier, at the hospital_

"Hi Hales, you ready to go?" Nathan asked, when he noticed Haley dressed and packed on the bed.

"Just about." She answers with a slight smile. Nathan had been acting differently around them and they had a pretty good idea why. Since the party today wasn't just about her getting out of the hospital but also about them announcing their engagement, she needed to know they still had Nathan's blessing.

"Nathan, could you sit down for a second? I need to tell you something."

"The last time you used those kind of words on me, it was to tell me you had a lesbian lover and were leaving me for her." He notes, placing his jacket on a side table and sitting next to Haley on the bed. "Please tell me this isn't something as big as that, 'cause I'm not sure I can handle that." He tells her, the tone of his voice was playful but his eyes showed how serious he was being.

"It's not that big, I promise." She tells him, trying to keep the mood light, though she's not sure whether she's succeeding. "But it's not exactly small either."

There's a small silence then, in which Nathan takes a deep breath, preparing himself for what was about to be thrown at him this time, though he had a feeling he already knew.

"It wasn't a lie was it?" He asks, before Haley can start her explanation. "At the time I thought he was just messing with me, trying to confuse my feelings for you and the truth about your feelings for me. But he was telling the truth wasn't he? You asked her to marry you."

Haley nods slowly, though she's not sure he even saw. She takes hold of one of his hands and turns his face so she can look him in the eye.

"Nathan, I know that I hurt you and no amount of apologies will ever make up for the broken heart I caused you. But, just through the last three months, so much has happened. I never expected to fall out of love with you, I never expected to fall in love with Brooke so fast, but here we are. I asked Brooke to marry me at a time when I wasn't sure we'd make it through the next day but …"

"You've been together for three months Haley, you really think that's enough? I'm sure you consider the fact that we got married so young and so soon as one of the reasons it didn't work out. You really wanna make the same mistake again?" He rants, interrupting Haley.

"We might have only been together for a few months, but we've known each other for a lot longer than that." Haley states, trying her best at making Nathan understand that this wasn't as rushed as it seemed. "We're also in a different place than you and I were when we first got married, you can't really compare these two situations."

"You asked her to marry you while you were being held captive, unsure that you'd spend another day together. That's not exactly the right situation for a proposal. Don't you think your judgment was a bit clouded at the time? That you only asked because you didn't know you'd be able to otherwise?"

Haley was expecting all these questions, she'd asked herself the same thing over and over again, but always came to the same conclusion.

"I won't say that didn't play part in why I asked her, but the truth is, I had thought about it before all of that happened. In fact, I went and bought the ring the day after we filed for the divorce. I had decided I'd ask her somewhere after we told Jamie the truth and the divorce was final."

This kept the basketball player silent, not having expected that explanation.

"I know it must seem that I didn't consider you or Jamie in all this. I get that it all seems rushed and like I moved on from you before you could even wrap your head around it. But this is what she brings out in me."

She knew it wasn't going to be easy to have Nathan see the difference between the Haley he know as his wife and the Haley Brooke knows as her girlfriend and now future wife. So she was gonna try her best to explain it, and by the looks of things, he was finally going to let her.

"Brooke has always had a way of bringing out another side of me. I first realized this when we lived together, back in high school. I only ever had Luke as a best friend, so it was refreshing to actually have a girlfriend, back then the platonic kind, I could talk to. She pushed me to come more in touch with my feminine side and to take a few risk every now and then. At the time, you were reaping the benefits from her influence."

Nathan was starting to understand where she was going with this, so he decided to stay quiet until she was done painting the picture of who she is with Brooke, so he could see her less as who she was with him.

"Now having her as my partner, has turned me into someone who takes the lead more. I also feel as though I need to be with her all the time, as close as I can possibly get to her. While the way I was with you was in no way wrong or false, it's just all different when I'm with her."

"I know that you love her, I see it every time you lock eyes together. I more than saw it when Brooke was crying at your bedside, hoping you'd wake up soon. But that doesn't change the fact that my whole life has been turned upside down. All the things I pictured in our future: having a second child we'd raise together, going on a second honeymoon after renewing our vows for the second time, dancing at our son's wedding, having grandchildren … All those things aren't going to happen now. You'll be going on a honeymoon with Brooke instead, maybe having a second child together with her, when Jamie gets married we might share a dance, but Jamie will have three parents instead of just us too." Tears had started falling from his eyes as Haley finally realized that even though she's gained so much from letting her feelings for Brooke come out, there's also a lot she's losing because of it.

"I've tried to be supportive and I don't want to lose the friendship that we have. It's just a lot to take in. And then to find out that you've already decided you want to marry Brooke before our marriage is completely over, it just made me question everything we had."

Haley remains silent. She had tried to remain considered of Nathan's feelings, but hearing him talk about the future he had envisioned for them, made her realize who selfish she had been. All she had cared about was embracing the love she found with Brooke. Her feelings for Nathan had dimmed over time, but she didn't know that his feelings for her had still been this strong.

"It was real, right? The years we spend together, the love we shared, the vows we took? It wasn't all just one big lie where you only needed me to be your beard?"

Repressing a smile from his use of lesbian slang, she went on to assure him of the meaning of their time together.

"I promise you, with my heart and soul, everything we had was real. You were the first person I fell in love with, the first person I made love with and the first person I saw myself growing old together with. Throughout those years, every time that I told you I loved you, every kiss we shared, all of it was real. I just found myself at a point in life where I still very much loved you, I just wasn't in love with you. I can't tell you what it was that caused this significant change, all I can tell you is that it wasn't your fault. When I started realizing I had feelings for Brooke, I tried my best to push them away and focus on you and our marriage, but when she admitted that she was attracted to me, I just couldn't deny it anymore."

Giving Nathan a few minutes to think, Haley goes on to tell Nathan what she felt she should've told him a long time ago. Hopefully after that, he'll give them his blessing because she and Brooke had decided they wouldn't tell anyone, unless he was alright with it.

"I'm sorry, for lying to you, for sneaking around behind your back and for having so little consideration about what you've been going through these last few months. I took you saying you gave us your blessing for granted when I started making decisions that I wanted to make about me and Brooke without considering what it meant for you and me."

"Thank you." Nathan says, his eyes now dry again. He believed everything she said to him and knows that no one can take away what they had together, it just wasn't meant to be. He'll never regret what he gave to her. He made him want to be a better man and thanks to her she is. She gave him a wonderful son, someone they made together through the love they had for each other. The connection that gave them would never break.

Having a good feeling what this talk was about in the first place, he decided to give Haley what she needed, what he felt they both needed.

"Would it be alright if I were the one to give you away on your wedding day?"

Haley doesn't answer right away, not really believing what she just heard.

"Do you mean that?" She asks after a few minutes pass.

"Haley, I've loved you for a long time. We've been through so much together and I loved every single second of it. But I know you and I know Brooke and I see the love you two have for each other. I told you a month ago when you admitted you were dating and I'm telling you now before we head on over to announce you're engagement: you have my blessing."

Those were the words she had been longing to hear. She gathers Nathan in a big hug and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you Nathan, you really are an amazing guy." She tells him, love for him shining from her eyes, though he knows by now it's not the love that used to shine. "It would be an absolute honor to have you give me away."

After that, they both dry their tears some more, take all of Haley's belongings and take them to the car. On their way over to Nathan's, they don't talk anymore about the past or the future. They just enjoy their new understanding and embrace the fact that they're both completely ready to move on.

When they get to the house, Jamie comes running at them, waving a little flag that says 'Welcome home, mommy!' Haley gathers him up in her arms and leaves him kisses all over his face. A week ago, when Nathan brought Jamie by at the hospital, they had finally laid all the cards on the table. It shouldn't have been too much of a surprise that he already had figured out that there was something going on between Aunt Brooke and his mum. He was angry with Brooke at first, but after she sat him down and promised she'd take good care of his mum, he seemed to accept the situation.

After they had their family bonding time, which they promised would consists of just the three of time, every other week, they head on over to the party.

When Haley opened the door, the entire room yelled out "Welcome home!", just like it said on the giant banner hanging on the side of the stairs. In turn, everyone went over to Haley, hugged her and told her they were happy she was alright. Amongst all the best wishes, Nathan sneaked over to Brooke.

"Hi." He said, getting her attention from standing at the side, watching her fiancé surrounded by all the people they loved.

"Hey Nathan." She says back, sending him a light smile.

"So, I talked to Haley at the hospital and I know there were some concerns about my reaction about you two announcing you'll be getting married."

Brooke only nods her head, both surprised and relieved for Nathan being so upfront about this.

"And I've come to realize that even though it all seemed rushed to me, I know that what you too have is real and that she wouldn't have asked unless she meant it. I was worried that it was all fueled by the situation you were in, but she helped me see that your relationship is different than the one we had and that she had actually planned on proposing way before your life was in jeopardy. That being said, I want you to know that even though I wished I was the one that could make her happy, I'm glad she found you. In other words, I give you my blessing."

Brooke's smile seemed to light up the entire room. They were so lucky to have him on their side, any other guy would've thrown a fit and would be consumed with anger and insecurities. But here he was, letting her know that he accepted the fact that his wife had chosen her to spend the rest of her life with instead of her. Sure, he'd still be very much present in their lives, but only as a father to Jamie and the friend to both her and Haley.

"Thank you Nathan, you have no idea how much this means to us!" She tells him and gives him a similar hug to the one Haley gave him at the hospital.

"Just treat her right, okay?" He asks, hoping beyond hope that he was doing the right thing in trusting her to take care of the one person in all the world he loves the most.

"I will." She tells him without hesitation, knowing that this was a promise she'd put every effort into keeping.

The day before, Brooke had gone to visit Jamie. She did this because she wanted his blessing, just like she wanted Nathan's, maybe even more. They had a long talk in which Brooke promised she would be everything she needed to be for his mum to be happy. In the end he gave her a big hug and told her that he was happy for her and his mum. With all the permissions given, Haley and Brooke went ahead and announced their big news. Most of the people were hesitant at first, but as they explained their wedding wouldn't be for another year, they all saw this as a chance to get to know them both as a couple. The fact that they had both Nathan and Jamie's approval, meant enough for the others to give them a chance.

1 year later, all their friends and family gathered to watch their love be united. Nathan did as he promised and gave Haley away. Jamie stood by their side, happy to be calling Brooke momma B from now on instead of Aunt Brooke. Everything went perfect, from the limousine in which they arrived, to the vows they made to each other and the honeymoon that followed the beautiful reception. After all the crazy things that happened that faithful day when Quinn put weed in the brownies, they were finally ready to start a new adventure together.

THE END

* * *

So this is the end of Special Brownies!

I hope it didn't seem too rushed towards the end, I felt this was a good way to end it, since everything I wanted to happen, happened and since it leaves enough to be explored, should I ever find it in me to write a sequel.

I want to thank all of you for reading and reviewing my story for the past three years. This was my first story and I couldn't have done this without you encouraging me to write the next chapter! So, again, thank you!

If there's any last comments you'd like to give, feel free to do so. If I were to write a sequel, I'm still not promising I will, but if I do, I'll announce it on my profile page where I'll be keeping everyone informed on the stories I'm working on.

Lucy


End file.
